Efficacy evaluation of an affectionate touch-based psychological intervention program for in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer patients: A controlled trial

doi:10.5498/wjp.v16.i4.115400

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Apr 19, 2026 (publication date) through Apr 1, 2026

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World Journal of Psychiatry

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Copyright: ©Author(s) 2026. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license. No commercial re-use. See permissions. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc.

World J Psychiatry. Apr 19, 2026; 16(4): 115400
Published online Apr 19, 2026. doi: 10.5498/wjp.v16.i4.115400

Efficacy evaluation of an affectionate touch-based psychological intervention program for in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer patients: A controlled trial

Wen-Feng Zeng, Qing Zhang, Xiao-Ran Wang, Zhang-Yang Xu, Chen-Wei Huang, Qin-Qin Zhang, Hong-Li Yan, Yun-Xia Wang

Wen-Feng Zeng, Xiao-Ran Wang, Zhang-Yang Xu, Chen-Wei Huang, Yun-Xia Wang, Department of Nautical Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, Naval Medical University, Shanghai 200433, China

Qing Zhang, Qin-Qin Zhang, Hong-Li Yan, Reproductive Medicine Center, Changhai Hospital, Shanghai 200433, China

Co-first authors: Wen-Feng Zeng and Qing Zhang.

Co-corresponding authors: Hong-Li Yan and Yun-Xia Wang.

Author contributions: Zeng WF contributed to software, validation, and visualization; Zeng WF and Wang XR contributed to formal analysis, and writing - original draft; Zeng WF, Zhang Q, Wang XR, Xu ZY, and Huang CW contributed to investigation; Zeng WF, Wang XR, and Xu ZY contributed to data curation; Zeng WF, Wang XR, Yan HL, and Wang YX contributed to conceptualization; Zhang Q, Xu ZY, Huang CW, Zhang QQ, Yan HL, and Wang YX contributed to resources; Zhang Q, Zhang QQ, Yan HL, and Wang YX contributed to writing - review and editing; Zhang Q, Yan HL, and Wang YX contributed to supervision; Wang XR contributed to methodology; Wang XR and Wang YX contributed to project administration; Wang YX contributed to funding acquisition; Zeng WF and Zhang Q contributed equally to this manuscript and are co-first authors; Yan HL and Wang YX contributed equally to this manuscript and are co-corresponding authors. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

Institutional review board statement: This study was approved by the Ethics Committee of Shanghai Changhai Hospital (Approval No. 2023-S-006).

Clinical trial registration statement: The research approach aligns with similar non-interventional studies in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer literature that have not required registration while maintaining scientific validity and ethical standards. All procedures were conducted in accordance with the ethical principles of the Declaration of Helsinki and received appropriate institutional review board approval.

Informed consent statement: Informed consent was obtained from all participants.

Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

CONSORT 2010 statement: The authors have read the CONSORT 2010 Statement, and the manuscript was prepared and revised according to the CONSORT 2010 Statement.

Data sharing statement: No additional data needs to be shared.

Corresponding author: Yun-Xia Wang, Department of Nautical Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, Naval Medical University, No. 800 Xiangyin Road, Yangpu District, Shanghai 200433, China. cloudywang66@163.com

Received: October 17, 2025
Revised: December 7, 2025
Accepted: January 15, 2026
Published online: April 19, 2026
Processing time: 165 Days and 20.8 Hours

Abstract

BACKGROUND

Couples undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF)-embryo transfer (ET) often face psychological and physiological stressors that may impact treatment outcomes. However, non-pharmacological adjunct therapies, which are intended to address these challenges, remain underexplored in infertility care settings.

AIM

To examine the efficacy of a culturally adapted psychological program involving affectionate touch for couples undergoing IVF-ET in Shanghai (China).

METHODS

A controlled trial with 100 couples (51 intervention/49 control) was conducted. The intervention group received a 4-week affectionate touch program, alongside routine IVF-ET. Outcomes assessed included marital relationships, mental health status, sperm motility, and pregnancy rates. Longitudinal data were analyzed using generalized estimating equations.

RESULTS

Intervention group showed significant improvements in total scores (male: β = 5.24, P < 0.001; female: β = 5.82, P < 0.001) and communication subdimension (male: β = 1.85, P = 0.014; female: β = 2.11, P = 0.022). Female also improved in emotional bonding subdimension (β = 2.20, P = 0.011). Male intervention group exhibited reduced anxiety (β = -2.63, P < 0.001) and stress (β = -4.31, P < 0.001), with significant group difference (β = -1.73, β = -2.11; P = 0.030, P =0.025); females intervention group showed stress reduction (β = -4.98, P < 0.001) with significant group difference (β = -2.61, P = 0.029). Intervention male had improved sperm progressive motility (week 3: β = 7.81, P < 0.001; week 4: β = 7.91, P = 0.042), and intervention females showed higher clinical pregnancy rates (76.5% vs 40.8%).

CONCLUSION

These findings highlight the potential of affectionate touch, such as gentle massage or comforting physical contact, as a low-cost adjunct treatment to address psychological and physiological challenges in infertility care.

Keywords: Affectionate touch; In vitro fertilization-embryo transfer; Stress buffering effect; Marital relationship; Anxiety; Depression

Core Tip: This study aimed to examine the efficacy of a culturally adapted psychological program incorporating affectionate touch for couples undergoing in vitro fertilization embryo transfer in Shanghai (China). The results underscore the potential of affectionate touch as a low-cost, accessible adjunctive therapy to routine in vitro fertilization embryo transfer care. This intervention addresses both the psychological challenges such as anxiety and depression and the physiological challenges, including hormonal imbalances and stress-related symptoms, experienced by infertile couples. It works through specific neurobiological mechanisms, including oxytocin release and modulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. These mechanisms contribute to stress-mitigating effects, suggesting the intervention’s role in reducing treatment-related stress and fostering relational resilience.