Frazzled dads are not so bad: Antianxiety meds do not reduce the success of IVF, says study

A team of researchers from Brigham and Women’s Hospital reported this week that men who take antianxiety medication may not experience poorer IVF outcomes than those who tough it out.

“Our findings indicate that despite past concerns over antidepressant medication’s impact on fertility, treatment should not be withheld from men experiencing anxiety or depression,” said study co-author, Dr. Zachary Walker.

In vitro fertilization is a famously stressful experience. Frustrated dreams, family expectations, and no small financial expense place considerable pressure on both partners. For years, fertility doctors have warned prospective fathers that antidepressant and antianxiety drugs may reduce the effectiveness of their fertility regimens. However, this new report, published in Human Reproduction, indicates that this may not be so.

From 2018 to 2022, the research team surveyed 222 men undergoing IVF at a single clinic, asking them to self-assess using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale questionnaire. They found that 22.5% of the men had experienced anxiety and 6.5% depression and evaluated this against the outcomes of the fertility treatments. They found that even though the men with anxiety had lower total motile sperm counts, the rate of live births did not differ in any significant way.

Walker had some ideas about why this might be so: “Anxiety medication can hinder fertility, so can stress. Given that IVF is notoriously stressful, our findings underscore the importance of prioritizing patient mental health during fertility treatment.”

Read the full study in Human Reproduction.

Walker Z, Ernandez J, Lanes A, Srouji SS, Ginsburg E, Kathrins M. “The effects of male anxiety and depression on IVF outcomes.” Human Reproduction. 2023. doi: https://doi.org/10.1093/humrep/dead179