Personalized Psychological and Wellness Support for Male Athletes with Infertility: a Typology of Emotional Responses to Diagnosis

Infertility in male athletes is a multifactorial issue encompassing physiological, psychological, and social dimensions. Despite significant advances in the diagnosis and treatment of reproductive disorders, psychological support for athletes remains underdeveloped – particularly in terms of integrating psychotherapeutic methods with physical wellness programs. Given the impact of stress, hormonal fluctuations, and the specific demands of professional sports, the development of personalized approaches to psychological and physical support is a relevant and timely challenge for modern medicine and sport psychology. The objective: to develop a typology of emotional responses among male athletes diagnosed with infertility and to identify personalized psycho-wellness support strategies through the integration of psychotherapeutic methods and physical exercises. Materials and methods. The study involved 100 male professional and amateur athletes (mean age M = 37.6; SD = 6.8) with a medically confirmed diagnosis of infertility. Psychodiagnostic tools included the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-21) to assess emotional distress, and the World Health Organization Quality of Life Questionnaire (WHOQOL-BREF) to evaluate emotional responses to the infertility diagnosis. Results. Five primary psychological response types to an infertility diagnosis were identified: Active Implementer – responded well to cognitive-behavioral therapy combined with functional training to sustain motivation. Isolated Sufferer – benefited from group therapy and breathing exercises to reduce anxiety. Rigid Traditionalist – showed positive results from family counseling paired with rehabilitative exercise programs. Skeptical Rationalist – responded to educational sessions and body awareness practices, which improved treatment adherence. Destructive Denier – required deep psychotherapy and emotional self-regulation training. The developed typology is based on real psychological requests and consultations from men diagnosed with infertility. It serves as a practical tool for clinicians, helping to better understand the emotional patterns and coping strategies commonly observed in this patient group. The typology does not aim to replace medical treatment or present psychological support as an alternative to clinical reproductive therapy. Rather, its purpose is to complement biomedical care by offering a structured framework for integrating psycho-emotional understanding into patient-centered support. In contrast to previous studies focused primarily on physiological or biomedical aspects, our research highlights the importance of addressing the individual psychological needs of men with infertility and proposes ways to personalize support strategies accordingly. Conclusions. We propose an original personalized typology of emotional responses in male athletes diagnosed with infertility, which may help them process the diagnosis more adaptively and guide tailored psychotherapeutic interventions. These findings can be implemented in clinical practice within reproductive health centers, by medical psychologists, and in wellness programs of sports organizations, in order to enhance the effectiveness of care for athletes living with infertility.