
Mariana Veloso MartinsUniversity of Porto | UP · Faculty of Psychology and Education Sciences
Mariana Veloso Martins
PhD
About
80
Publications
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Introduction
Mariana Veloso Martins currently works at the Faculty of Psychology and Education Sciences, University of Porto. Mariana does research in Reproductive Health Psychology and Marital Relationships. Her current projects are "Marital stability in couples who have gone through ART treatments" and "Young adults reproductive health and aspirations". At the moment she is the coordinator of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE) Psychology and Counselling Special Interest Group.
Publications
Publications (80)
BACKGROUND Similarly to women, men suffer from engaging in fertility treatments, both physically and psychologically. Although there
is a vast body of evidence on the emotional adjustment of women to infertility, there are no systematic reviews focusing on
men's psychological adaptation to infertility and related treatments.
Individuals perceiving high social support tend to perceive better adjustment to infertility. However, it remains unclear whether this benefit is affected by the actual disclosure of the infertility condition. The present study aimed to examine the role of disclosure of fertility status in moderating the relationship between perceived social suppor...
To compare the trajectories of infertility-related stress between patients who remain in the same relationship and patients who repartner.
Longitudinal cohort study using latent growth modeling.
Fertility centers.
Childless men and women evaluated before starting a new cycle of fertility treatment and observed for a 5-year period of unsuccessful tr...
Is perceived social support from partner, family, and friends associated with increased infertility-related stress?
While men's perceived support did not seem to influence their partners' stress, women's perceptions of spousal and familial support can affect the way men deal with the challenge of infertility.
Previous studies showed that low levels...
Social support can be a critical component of how a woman adjusts to infertility, yet few studies have investigated its impact on infertility-related coping and stress. We examined relationships between social support contexts and infertility stress domains, and tested if they were mediated by infertility-related coping strategies in a sample of in...
O presente estudo teve como objetivo analisar o impacto de uma separação na diferenciação do self num período de dois anos. As separações amorosas são um dos maiores desafios da adultez emergente e podem contribuir potencialmente para o desenvolvimento da identidade. No entanto, a literatura revela uma lacuna significativa quanto à compreensão da s...
Specific risk factors can negatively impact marital adjustment (MA) in remarriage and contribute to higher dissolution rates. However, more than understanding the differences between first marriages and remarriages, it is crucial to understand why some remarriages are more adjusted than others. Our objective was to systematically review quantitativ...
STUDY QUESTION
Do involuntary definitive childless women have lower psychosocial adjustment levels than women with infertility diagnoses actively trying to conceive and presumably fertile women?
SUMMARY ANSWER
Involuntary definitive childless women have lower levels of sexual functioning than infertile women actively trying to conceive and presuma...
Many recent societal trends have led to the need for fertility education, including the age at which individuals become parents, the development of new reproductive technologies, and family diversity. Fertility awareness has emerged as a concept very recently and is increasingly gaining recognition. However, fertility education is often neglected a...
Study question
Which fertility education interventions have been delivered to adolescents and are effective in increasing fertility knowledge? A systematic review
Summary answer
Adolescents’ fertility knowledge is low, particularly when it comes to individual factors. Educational interventions are perceived as useful and can increase fertility kno...
Study question
Does relationship satisfaction and social support demonstrate actor and partner effects on perceived stress, and is this relationship moderated by reproductive status?
Summary answer
No significant partner effects were found. Relationship satisfaction is related to one’s stress. Reproductive status moderates the relationship between...
Objetivo: No âmbito de um projeto destinado à promoção da fertility awareness, desenvolvido pela Fertility Europe, pretendeu-se recolher informação junto de adolescentes portugueses, relativamente às suas perceções e opiniões acerca de um possível serious educational game sobre este tema. Métodos: Recorreu-se à metodologia de focus group, tendo sid...
Objective:
Although there is increasing evidence on the psychosocial adjustment and experiencing pregnancy loss from the patient's perspective, few studies have investigated the nurses' experience perceptions. This study aimed to understand the experience of nurses involved in pregnancy loss care based on the self-fulfillment model of communicatio...
Background
Stepfamilies are a prevalent family form. However, less stable than nuclear, first marriage families due to the presence of risk factors such as the absence of social norms and the presence of stepchildren. Stepfamilies have unique educational needs regarding stepparenting and co-parenting issues. The development and documentation of psy...
Objective
The present study analyzed the effects of the use and perceived usefulness of bereavement rituals and marital satisfaction on perinatal bereavement.
Method
74 Portuguese women who attended a public hospital in Porto - Portugal, after experiencing one or more abortions in 2019, responded to a self-report survey. The effects of ritual util...
Objective: The present study analyzed the effects of the use and perceived usefulness of bereavement rituals and marital satisfaction on perinatal bereavement. Method: 74 Portuguese women who attended a public hospital in Porto - Portugal, after experiencing one or more abortions in 2019, responded to a self-report survey. The effects of ritual uti...
Study question:
Can animation videos on how to optimize the chances of pregnancy influence stress, anxiety, depression and sexual functioning of individuals trying to conceive (TTC)?
Summary answer:
There were no differences between those educated to have intercourse every other day, on the fertile window and a control group (CG), and depression...
Objetivo: O presente estudo analisou os efeitos da utilização e da percepção de utilidade dos rituais de luto e da satisfação conjugal no luto perinatal.
Método: Responderam a um inquérito de autorrelato, 74 mulheres portuguesas que recorreram a um hospital público no Porto — Portugal, após vivenciarem um ou mais abortamentos em 2019. Foram analis...
Providing information to patients and, or donors at the ART clinic is essential but challenging, especially in the case of reproductive donation.
Recent developments in direct-to-consumer genetic testing combined with social media have increased the degree of difficulty. Concepts such as donor anonymity, secrecy and disclosure have to be revisited...
Dysfunctional beliefs from previous experiences and unrealistic expectations can lead to low remarital quality. This study assessed the factor structure of the Portuguese version of the Remarriage Belief Inventory (RMBI). Data were analyzed with 741 remarried individuals. Participants were recruited through a web-based survey (LimeSurvey software)...
The November ESHRE Journal Club was dedicated to discussing an often-forgotten aspect in ART—patient awareness, attitudes and experiences. The discussion was based on a paper published by Abdulrahim et al. (2021)—‘Assessing couples’ preferences for fresh or frozen embryo transfer: a discrete choice experiment’ (Abdulrahim et al., 2021).
In recent y...
Study question:
What information and support should be offered to donors, intended parents and donor-conceived people, in general and in consideration of the availability of direct-to-consumer genetic testing and matching services?
Summary answer:
For donors, intended parents and donor-conceived offspring, recommendations are made that cover inf...
Bowen Family Systems Theory’s central construct, differentiation of self (DoS), is one of the most recognized constructs to systemic researchers and psychology professionals. The present study reviewed the available evidence on DoS from the inception of the construct until July 31, 2020. A scoping review was conducted and a total of 295 primary stu...
To study the role of perceived threat of infertility, barriers, and facilitators in intention to anticipate childbearing, a cross-sectional study was conducted with 240 women desiring to have children and committed in a heterosexual relationship. Participants answered an online survey between July 2016 and February 2018. Results showed that perceiv...
Study question
What sexual strategies do individuals TTC with different fertility status use?; What are the predictors of sexual dysfunction(SD) and frequency of intercourse(IF) when TTC?
Summary answer
TTC strategies with no evidence of effectiveness are the most used. Poor marital quality predicted SD, and female SD was a significant predictor...
Study question
Participating in a fertility awareness program accelerates the intention to have children 6 to 12 months after video- fertility awareness?
Summary answer
In combination with positive childbearing motivation, those in the video condition anticipated their intentions to have children at 6-12 months follow-up
What is known already
Fer...
Study question
What sexual strategies do individuals TTC with different fertility status use?; What are the predictors of sexual dysfunction(SD) and frequency of intercourse(IF) when TTC? Summary answer: TTC strategies with no evidence of effectiveness are the most used. Poor marital quality predicted SD, and female SD was a significant predictor o...
Several studies worldwide have shown that reproductive-aged people often have inadequate fertility awareness (FA). Since attitudes and health behaviours are influenced by the partner, there is a need for studies exploring the role of these influences on the individuals’ adoption of fertility protective behaviours (FPB). This study explores the role...
Objective: This study examined the effects of anxiety and depression
on sexual functioning in couples trying to conceive, and
tested the moderating role of infertility diagnosis on this
association.
Design: An online questionnaire was completed by 1453 individuals
in a heterosexual relationship for more than one year. The
final sample had 107 coupl...
Fertility awareness (FA) among young people is low. Fertility awareness interventions have been found to contribute to increase FA in the short-term. The long-term effectiveness of FA interventions on childless and presumed fertile people, committed in a heterosexual relationship and wishing to have children in the near future is not known. In a do...
Background: Endometriosis is likely to affect sexuality and intimate relationships but the effect endometriosis
has on partners remains overlooked and the existing studies show conflicting results. The effect of the disease and
its treatment on the couple may be pronounced given the absence of an obvious cause or cure, the likelihood of
chronic rec...
When a stepfamily is formed, the (step)children involved frequently are adolescents. Considering their development stage, adolescents may be particularly sensitive to stepfamily adjustment; some their difficulties may be related to tension in the relationship with stepparents, less involvement, loyalty binds, not demonstrate feelings openly but are...
This study explores differentiation of self (DoS) and its association with couple adjustment across the family life cycle, in a sample of Spanish individuals (n=506). Individuals in stage VII (nearing the end of life) revealed significantly lower levels of DoS than those in other stages, except for V (moving on at midlife). Individuals in stages V...
First medical contact for couples trying for a child will usually emphasise the array of assistance available to 'help them have their own child', usually with options involving ART, after diagnosis. For many poorer prognosis couples, this means repetitive unsuccessful cycles of invasive and stressful treatment. What is sometimes lost at this stage...
Resumo: Perdas gestacionais são eventos que afetam o casal, provocando sentimentos de dor e sofrimento que atingem ambos os pais. Trata-se de um trauma na vida do casal e po-dem ser estigmatizantes. As habilidades do casal para lidar com essa perda dependem da capacidade de cada membro do casal para enfrentar situações difíceis. Buscamos identifica...
This study used an actor-partner interdependence analytic approach to examine a theoretical model assessing whether lower differentiation of self is linked to higher psychological distress and lower dyadic adjustment. Data from 195 heterosexual Spanish couples were analyzed. Results showed significant actor effects in all variables. Regarding partn...
Study question:
Is the first-time redeemed prescription of antidepressants predicted by the level of infertility-related stress in women seeking ART treatment?
Summary answer:
Infertility-related stress in the personal and marital domains and general physical stress reactions were significant predictors of a first redeemed prescription of antide...
Bowen Family Systems Theory has been empirically tested over the past three decades, with evidence suggesting that higher levels of Differentiation of Self (DoS) are positively associated with psychological well-being, couple adjustment and family functioning indicators, among other variables. However, its relationship with the life span has not be...
Couples, particularly in Southern Europe, have been dealing with a deep economic crisis in the past 10 years: difficulty paying bills can lead to significant strain on couple relationships. We will explore how specific events associated with situations of impoverishment (e. g., being fired from job) and other major stressful events influence dyadic...
Introduction: Recent evidence indicates that reproductive-age people have inadequate fertility awareness (FA) concerning fertility, infertility risk factors, and consequences of delaying childbearing. However, no study has tried to summarize these studies and to clarify the variables associated with FA, namely the role of gender, age, education, an...
Going through the experience of infertility has been shown to be both beneficial and detrimental to the couple relationship. This divergent evidence can be attributed to the lack of adequate control groups and not using the dyad as the unit of analysis. This study addresses these gaps by analyzing the differences in 358 couples regarding relational...
Study question:
Are couples initiating ART treatment at higher risk for future union dissolution compared to other couples?
Summary answer:
There is no effect of ART treatments in future marital dissolution over a period of 16 years when adjusting for all confounders.
What is known already:
Findings regarding marital stability and infertility...
This longitudinal study aimed to assess change in marital satisfaction of women who have experienced infertility, comparing the reported perceptions when seeking treatment (T0) with those reported after the reproductive outcome, about four years later (T1). The aim was also to analyze the influence of parity, socio-demographic and biomedical variab...
Objective:
Breast cancer (BC) diagnosis and subsequent treatments present significant challenges and distress for both patients and their partners. This can lead to difficulties in marital relationships and, consequently, decreases in marital adjustment and psychosocial adaptation to BC for both partners. Our objective was to systematically review...
Objectives: Recent evidence has shown that young adults have poor knowledge about reproductive health and fertility, and that interventions are needed to increase fertility awareness. The aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of a brief video in increasing knowledge about fertility and infertility in young adults.
Methods: We carried ou...
Contribution to the validity and reliability of the ’Conditions of importance for the decision to become a parent’ and ’Perceived life changes in connection with becoming a parent’ scales (Lampic et al. 2016)
PurposeThis study aims to explore the role of infertility-psychosocial variables on treatment discontinuation after controlling for demographic and biomedical variables in couples seeking reimbursed fertility treatment. MethodsA prospective study was conducted in 139 couples seeking fertility treatment. Between February 2010 and March 2011, partici...
Objectives: Recent evidence showed that young adults have low reproductive health and fertility knowledge, and that interventions are needed to increase fertility awareness. The aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of a brief video in increasing knowledge regarding fertility and infertility in young adults. Methods: A two-arm, parallel...
Study question Are the Copenhagen Multi‐Centre Psychosocial Infertility research program Fertility Problem Stress Scales (COMPI-FPSS) a reliable and valid measure across gender and culture?
Summary answer The COMPI-FPSS is a valid and reliable measure, presenting excellent or good fit in the majority of the analyzed countries, and demonstrating ful...
Objective: To compare the occurrence and degree of stress attributed to life events during childhood/adolescence and adulthood between individuals diagnosed with infertility and presumably fertile individuals, and to examine the effect of life events occurrence and stress levels on an infertility diagnosis.
Background: Although stress has been ver...
We compared the psychometric properties of COMPI Fertility Problem Stress Scales, Fertility Problem Inventory, and Fertility Quality of Life Tool in 293 patients enrolled for assisted reproductive technology. COMPI Fertility Problem Stress Scales and Fertility Problem Inventory subscales presented higher internal consistency. COMPI Fertility Proble...
What is the best instrument? A psychometric comparison of COMPI Fertility Problem Stress (COMPI-FPSS), Fertility Problem Inventory (FPI), and Fertility Quality of Life tool (FertiQoL)
A vivência de acontecimentos negativos geradores de stress está associada à incidência de cancro, diabetes ou outras doenças crónicas (Szabó, 2013). Tendo a infertilidade uma condição crónica (Stanton, Lobel, Sears & DeLuca, 2002, cit. in Martins, 2012) quando prolongada no tempo, este estudo teve como objetivo avaliar a associação entre a perceção...
Study question
Is there a difference between women with moderate to severe endometriosis (rAFS-III and rAFS-IV) who underwent laparoscopic surgery with bowel resection (BR) or without bowel resection (WBR) regarding depressive symptoms, relational adjustment and sexual functioning: a prospective questionnaire study.
Summary answer
Radical (but fer...
Social support is a key variable in health, wellbeing and stress research. This study evaluated the psychometric properties of the Portuguese version of the MSPSS. In total 613 Portuguese adults married or living together and trying to conceive a child completed a battery of self-report measures, including the MSPSS, the Beck Depression Inventory-I...
The main purpose of the present study was to analyze gender differences in perceived relationship quality and infertility-related stress in a sample of Portuguese individuals seeking infertility treatment. The sample comprised 243 patients (125 men and 118 women) of a large regional public fertility centre. Besides a demographic questionnaire, part...
Introduction
Individuals perceiving high social support tend to perceive better adjustment to infertility. However, it remains unclear whether this benefit is affected by the actual disclosure of the infertility condition. Because mental health professionals and physicians are often confronted with the question of whether or not their patients shou...
Sumario
El proceso de formación de una nueva familia por parte de dos adultos aporta muchas cuestiones intergeneracionales que pueden originar conflictos en la pareja, sea por representaciones distintas de lo sistema de apego entre los padres de cada uno, sea porque hay que negociar reglas y límites específicos diferentes de aquellos de los sistem...
Introduction
The importance of social support and positive coping strategies in dealing with the disease and major crisis of infertility is well documented in the literature. However, recent literature has identified not only the need to find predictors of coping strategies and to include the importance of social relations in infertility studies, b...
El proceso de formación de una nueva familia por parte de dos adultos aporta muchas cuestiones intergeneracionales que pueden originar conflictos en la pareja, sea por representaciones distintas de lo sistema de apego entre los padres de cada uno, sea porque hay que negociar reglas y límites específicos diferentes de los sistemas familiares de orig...