Ghanaian women experiencing infertility problem, have been seeking invitro fertilisation treatment in the quest for motherhood, however there is a dearth in the nursing studies researching this phenomenon. It appears that the concept and meanings of infertility is inadequately explored from the perspective of women experiences following unsuccessful invitro fertilisation treatment. In particular, it is vital to be knowledgeable about the challenges women encounter when undergoing IVF treatment and following unsuccessful procedure. The study sought to gain a deeper knowledge and to understand the meanings women struggling with infertility and its treatment experience and how invitro fertilisation treatment failure affects women in their everyday life. To unearth the women perception and meaning attributed to their experiences of unsuccessful infertility treatment, Heidegger's philosophy of phenomenology underpinned this study. A semistructured opening question and further probing questions were used to gather information which was reduced to sub-themes and main themes which captured the participant's lived experiences of unsuccessful invitro fertilisation treatment. I adopted van Manen's (1990) six steps of research activities as a structure to unravel the participants' phenomenological conversations. Applying Heidegger's concept of the three modes of existence (Existenze): authenticity, inauthenticity and undifferentiatedness, four major themes were identified: 1. Seeking wholistic and authentic care- authenticity 2. Facing up to the Angst- inauthenticity 3. The vulnerable self - inauthenticity 4. Living with infertility (being-in-the-world-of-motherless) - undifferentiatedness The participants' phenomenological conversations and their stories have revealed a range of challenges Ghanaian women who seek invitro fertilisation treatment go through. The study contribute significantly by giving insight to the painful experiences Ghanaian women go through when seeking invitro fertilisation treatment and has given a voice to how assisted reproductive technologies are currently experienced in the Ghanaian context. From the women's narrative, it appeared that their emotional and informational needs were not being met and were not being cared for as expected. The findings provide some direction regarding the needs of women experiencing infertility for information, support and advocacy in their pursuit of assisted reproductive technology services in Ghana. There is a critical need to simplify invitro fertilisation treatment and provision of safe, affordable procedure so that the average Ghanaian women can access it.

Psychological problems are common in infertile women undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment.  The aim of this thesis was to determine the prevalence of psychiatric disorders, such as mood and anxiety disorders, and related risk factors and personality traits in women and men undergoing IVF. Participants were 1090 consecutive women and men, 545 couples, attending a fertility clinic in Sweden during a two-year period. The Primary Care Evaluation of Mental Disorders (PRIME-MD), based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV), was used for evaluating mood and anxiety disorders. The participation rate was 862 (79 %) subjects. Any psychiatric disorder was present in 31 % of females and in 10 % of males. Major depression was prevalent in 11 % of females and 5 % of males. Only 21 % of the subjects with a psychiatric disorder had some form of treatment. A negative pregnancy test and obesity (BMI ≥ 30) were risk factors for mood disorders in women and the only risk factor for depression in men was unexplained infertility. Anxiety disorders were less common than in the general population and no IVF-related risk factors were identified. The Swedish universities Scales of Personality (SSP), a self-rating questionnaire, was used for evaluation of personality traits. High scores of personality traits related to neuroticism were associated with mood and/or anxiety disorders among both women and men. Another objective was to explore the experience of childlessness three years after unsuccessful IVF by a qualitative-approach, assessing data by interviews. Failure after IVF was experienced by women in terms of grief, whereas men took upon themselves a supportive role not expressing grief. A need for professional support and counselling in how to handle grief was described. An unstructured end after IVF treatment left unanswered questions. Three years after the end of treatment, men and women were still processing and had not adapted to childlessness, indicating the grieving process was unresolved.

Psychological problems are common in infertile women undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment.  The aim of this thesis was to determine the prevalence of psychiatric disorders, such as mood and anxiety disorders, and related risk factors and personality traits in women and men undergoing IVF. Participants were 1090 consecutive women and men, 545 couples, attending a fertility clinic in Sweden during a two-year period. The Primary Care Evaluation of Mental Disorders (PRIME-MD), based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV), was used for evaluating mood and anxiety disorders. The participation rate was 862 (79 %) subjects. Any psychiatric disorder was present in 31 % of females and in 10 % of males. Major depression was prevalent in 11 % of females and 5 % of males. Only 21 % of the subjects with a psychiatric disorder had some form of treatment. A negative pregnancy test and obesity (BMI ≥ 30) were risk factors for mood disorders in women and the only risk factor for depression in men was unexplained infertility. Anxiety disorders were less common than in the general population and no IVF-related risk factors were identified. The Swedish universities Scales of Personality (SSP), a self-rating questionnaire, was used for evaluation of personality traits. High scores of personality traits related to neuroticism were associated with mood and/or anxiety disorders among both women and men. Another objective was to explore the experience of childlessness three years after unsuccessful IVF by a qualitative-approach, assessing data by interviews. Failure after IVF was experienced by women in terms of grief, whereas men took upon themselves a supportive role not expressing grief. A need for professional support and counselling in how to handle grief was described. An unstructured end after IVF treatment left unanswered questions. Three years after the end of treatment, men and women were still processing and had not adapted to childlessness, indicating the grieving process was unresolved.