Psychological well-being and depression among Lebanese women with infertility: influencing factors and implications for care

Background Infertility is frequently associated with psychological distress; however, evidence remains limited on mental health outcomes among Lebanese women experiencing infertility. This study aimed to assess the psychological well-being and depression using the World Health Organization Well-Being Index (WHO-5) and the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), and to identify factors influencing each outcome. Method A cross-sectional study was conducted between June and September 2024 and included 346 Lebanese women recruited from two fertility centers in Beirut. Participants were randomly selected and completed a structured questionnaire through individual interviews. Descriptive and bivariate analyses were performed, and binary logistic regressions were used to identify the factors influencing each of the well-being and depression indices. Results Among the participants, 50.00% had poor well-being and 37.90% had major depression. Good well-being was significantly associated with exercise frequency per week (OR = 1.260), sleeping seven hours or more (OR = 1.904), being a former water-pipe smoker (OR = 4.039), having a history of previous cesarean section (OR = 2.266), living in rural areas (OR = 0.594), and attending different fertility clinics (OR = 0.564). Moreover, major depression was significantly associated with more frequent water pipe smoking (OR = 1.099), attending different fertility clinics (OR = 2.055), living in central areas (OR = 1.784), and having a past medical history of anxiety (OR = 7.278). However, no major depression was associated with exercise (OR = 0.564), nor with sleeping seven hours or more (OR = 0.399). Conclusion Lifestyle, behavioral, clinical, and demographic factors significantly influence the well-being and depression among Lebanese women experiencing infertility. Integrating psychological support and patient care services into fertility services is essential to improve outcomes.