(PS10-99) Relationships Between Motivations for Withholding Negative Emotions and Assessments of Mental Health Symptoms, Fertility-specific Stress, and Resilience

Fertility challenges are associated with various negative outcomes including interpersonal stressors and psychological symptoms (Gerrity, 2001; Farren et al., 2018). Although social support is generally protective (Kee et al., 2000), disclosure of fertility concerns may also be associated with higher general stress (Slade et al., 2007). Different motivations may exist for a lack of self-disclosure. The current study examined non-disclosure through a Self-Determination Theory (Deci & Ryan, 1985) lens. We recruited participants (N = 53) from fertility clinics serving women seeking medical assessments and treatments for fertility challenges as part of a larger psychotherapeutic intervention study aimed at reducing general and fertility-specific stress. Eligible women completed assessments of general distress (Symptom Checklist-90), depressive symptoms (Beck Depression Inventory-II), resilience (Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale), and domains of fertility-specific stress (Fertility Problem Inventory). All participants endorsed interpersonal withholding of negative emotions related to their fertility challenges and completed an assessment of motivations underlying these strategies (Self-Regulation of Withholding Negative Emotions Questionnaire; SRWNE). The SRWNE discriminates between intentional behaviors along dimensions of autonomy (regulated by choice with internal locus of causality) and controlled (pressured or coerced with external determinants) and yields four subscales: External Regulation (ER) associated with externally coercive motivations, Introjected Regulation (JR) denoting partially-internalized motivations in which self-control is utilized to avoid anticipated shame or guilt, Identified Regulation (DR) involves a valuing of self-regulation using strategies that are also valued by interpersonal groups, and Integrated Regulation (TR) in which individuals are self-aware of affect and regulate its expression flexibly and autonomously. We analyzed data using bootstrapped Pearson correlations and Cohen’s convention for effect size characterization. ER and JR withholding styles demonstrated medium and large positive relationships with elevated general distress and depressive symptoms, fertility related social concerns, and sexual concerns and negative associations with resilience. Relationship concerns were positively and moderately associated with ER but not JR styles. In contrast, endorsement of TR motivation was not associated with general stress or depression, but was related to improved resilience, and lower fertility-specific strains in the domains of relationship concerns, rejection of childfree lifestyle, and need for parenthood. DR motivation did not yield any significant relationships with global or fertility-specific mental health outcomes. Results of the current study may facilitate conceptualizations of the nuance associated with self-disclosure regarding infertility and differential relationships with strain and well-being and thus, point to a need for further emotional and motivation regulation research to evaluate recommendations for social disclosure of fertility-related distress.