Stress and IVF: Current Research and The Value of Counselling

For those going through fertility treatment, it is common to be told to “just relax and it will happen”. The last thing you need when you are navigating injections, appointments, and the rollercoaster of emotions each month or cycle, is to be told to just stress less! But it raises some valid points: are stress and IVF linked? Does stress impact fertility treatment outcomes? Two recent studies looked at the impacts of stress and emotional distress on IVF outcomes. The results are nuanced but very valuable.

Does stress affect IVF success?

A 2024 systematic review by Zanettoullis et al. (linked here) examined 36 studies looking at how stress affects each stage of the IVF process: egg retrieval, fertilisation, embryo transfer, and pregnancy outcome. The findings indicated that stress does have an impact, but not necessarily on every stage of treatment.

The egg retrieval stage emerged as the point most consistently affected by both short-term (acute) and ongoing (chronic) stress. Several studies found that women with higher stress and anxiety scores around this time had fewer eggs retrieved, and that elevated cortisol levels around retrieval were more common among women whose cycles were ultimately unsuccessful. Researchers suggested a few potential reasons for this. Egg retrieval is often the first major procedural milestone and the point where the cumulative weight of the fertility journey is felt most acutely. Further, the physical experience of the procedure itself may be a contributor.

Interestingly, the picture for the fertilisation and embryo transfer stages was murkier. Chronic stress showed a possible link to fertilisation outcomes, but acute stress around the time of the procedure largely did not.

For the big-ticket item in all fertility treatment, pregnancy and live birth rates, the evidence was mixed. Some studies found a significant connection between stress hormones and pregnancy outcomes, while other studies showed not significant connection.

The review's overall takeaway is that stress is clearly part of the picture, particularly in relation to egg retrieval. So, while this information might add to your stress about stressing, you are encouraged to suspend the self-blame and keep reading, as there is some good news and solutions below.

The bigger ticket item: emotional support

A newly published paper by Anderson et al. (2026) (linked here) looks at this from an emotional and psychological wellbeing angle. The overarching questions were:

How are people psychologically impacted by fertility treatment?

Do those undergoing fertility treatment have better pregnancy and live birth rates where they receive psychological support?

The numbers are sobering. People undergoing fertility treatment report significantly higher rates of anxiety and depression than the general population, and a notable percentage report having had thoughts of self-harm during treatment. Some previous research has likened the levels of stress experienced in fertilty treatments to a cancer diagnosis! (link) Psychological interventions, including cognitive-behavioural therapy and mind-body programs, have been shown in multiple studies to meaningfully reduce anxiety and depression in fertility patients.

On a very positive note, 8 out of 9 studies showed that psychological interventions had a marked impact on pregnancy rates, with an average of over double (52% vs 20%) the pregnancy rate in the group receiving the interventions. This is wild! Emotional support isn't just about coping better it also genuinely supports higher fertility treatment success rates.

So why don’t people seek this support during treatment? Sadly, it seems to be the usual barriers at play including lingering stigma around asking for help, cost, and finding a suitably qualified specialist fertility counsellor. Further, most patients say they were never told what mental health support, if any, was available through their clinic.

What this means for you

If you take one thing away from this research, let it be this: feeling stressed, depressed and anxious while undergoing fertility treatment is very common and you are far from alone. Just working harder on you own to “stress less” is not likely to help you actually reduce your stress. But seeking counselling to support you on your fertility journey can help you reduce your stress during this emotionally, and physically, tough journey, and it will increase your chances of success in treatment. It’s not an optional extra, it is an investment in having the family you want.

Here’s the solution

Many IVF clinics will cover the cost of counselling support during your treatment. You just have to ask. Speak to the nursing staff at your clinic and request a referral for supportive counselling (note that a referral is not required if you wish to self-fund counselling services). If they don’t fund counselling services, perhaps send them this research!

Mindsmith Wellness provides specialist fertility counselling services both in-person and via telehealth so that you can be supported in your fertility journey no matter where you are. Don’t wait until you are stressed, depressed and anxious to reach out.

If this resonates with where you're at, I'd love to talk. A free 15-minute discovery call is a simple, no-pressure first step.