Type D personality, and quality of life in couples undergoing in vitro fertilization treatment:the role of dyadic coping

There is limited research on the relationship between type D personality, dyadic coping, and quality of life (QoL), with most studies focusing on the individual perspective rather than the dyadic perspective. Additionally, evidence for the systemic-transaction model (STM) is limited, and research on infertile couples is scarce. This study investigated the relationship between type D personality and QoL in couples with infertility through the mediation of dyadic coping mechanisms. The present descriptive cross-sectional study recruited 452 infertile couples (<i>N</i> = 904) receiving in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment from a tertiary hospital in Hefei, China, between January and May of 2022. Information on sociodemographic and clinical characteristics, type D personality, dyadic coping, and the QoL of the dyads was collected. The dyadic data were examined using the Actor-Partner Interdependence Mediation Model approach (APIMeM). The results suggest that type D personality, dyadic coping, and QoL in infertile couples have Actor-Partner Interdependence effects. The negative impact of Type D personality can spill over from individuals to the dyadic domain of couples. In the later stage, the negative impact of type D personality on QoL can be reduced by enhancing the dyadic coping level of both members of the infertile couple.