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World J Psychiatry. Jul 19, 2026; 16(7): 116396
Published online Jul 19, 2026. doi: 10.5498/wjp.116396
Published online Jul 19, 2026. doi: 10.5498/wjp.116396
Infertility, social pressure, and mental health: An empirical study based on a reproductive sociology framework
Su-Han Huang, Mei Yin, School of Humanities and Social Science, Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150081, Heilongjiang Province, China
Hong-Ping Ji, Xiao-Han Tang, Meng Li, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150001, Heilongjiang Province, China
Si-Cong Jiang, Department of Thoracic and Endocrine Surgery, University Hospitals and University of Geneva, Geneva 450000, Switzerland
Author contributions: Huang SH and Yin M contributed to study conception and design; Ji HP and Li M were responsible for data collection and clinical background data input; Tang XH conducted the literature review and assisted in manuscript drafting; Jiang SC provided an international academic perspective and critical revision of the manuscript; Yin M supervised the study and provided methodological guidance; and all authors read and approved the final manuscript.
AI contribution statement: No AI tools or services were used in the writing, editing, or preparation of this manuscript.
Institutional review board statement: This study was approved by the Medical Ethics Committee of Harbin Medical University, approval No. HMUIRB2025031PRE.
Informed consent statement: All study participants, or their legal guardian, provided informed written consent prior to study enrollment.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.
STROBE statement: The authors have read the STROBE Statement-checklist of items, and the manuscript was prepared and revised according to the STROBE Statement-checklist of items.
Data sharing statement: No additional data are available.
Corresponding author: Mei Yin, MD, PhD, Full Professor, School of Humanities and Social Science, Harbin Medical University, No. 157 Health Road, Harbin 150081, Heilongjiang Province, China. dryinmei@163.com
Received: December 12, 2025
Revised: January 19, 2026
Accepted: February 4, 2026
Published online: July 19, 2026
Processing time: 198 Days and 16.1 Hours
Revised: January 19, 2026
Accepted: February 4, 2026
Published online: July 19, 2026
Processing time: 198 Days and 16.1 Hours
Core Tip
Core Tip: This study investigated the impact of infertility-related social pressure on mental health within a reproductive sociology framework. Using data from 1200 participants and a newly developed Infertility Social Pressure and Mental Health Scale, results showed that social pressure significantly mediated the relationship between infertility and psychological distress, with women and individuals with longer infertility duration experiencing higher burdens. Self-imposed pressure emerged as the strongest predictor of mental health outcomes. Culturally sensitive psychosocial interventions and routine psychological screening in infertility care are recommended to improve overall patient well-being.