Well-being and distress related to social support and emotions in infertile women : A cross-cultural comparison between Sweden and Iran

Abstract: The present survey study investigated cultural differences in social support, well-being, distress, positive and negative emotions in relation to infertility, by analyzing mean difference, correlation, regression and moderation on these variables. 117 women with primary infertility were recruited from fertility clinics in Sweden and Iran. Cultural differences were found regarding well-being and distress, indicating that infertility may pose a greater stigma in Iran than in Sweden. Even so, both samples reported high distress levels which confirmed infertility as a psychological stressor. Social support buffered against distress in the Swedish sample. Well-being was to a greater extent estimated by emotions in the Swedish sample, and by social support in the Iranian sample. Results were discussed in relation to aspects of individualism and collectivism.