Understanding Happiness in Infertile Couples: The Role of Resilience and Social Support

Infertility can significantly impact psychological and social well-being, often leading to anxiety, depression, low self-esteem and strained relationships. Despite these psychological challenges, many couples demonstrate resilience, mutual understanding, and hope for the future. The study aimed to explore the dyadic relationships between happiness, resilience, and perceived social support (PSS) among infertile couples, with the goal of understanding how protective factors contribute to their subjective well-being. Through a comparative correlational study design, we recruited 53 infertile couples through selective purposive sampling. Data was collected using three standardized self-report instruments: the Oxford Happiness Questionnaire (Hills & Argyle, 2002), Resilience Scale (Wagnild & Young, 1993), and Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (Zimet, Dahlem, & Farley, 1988. Findings reveal a positive correlation between resilience and perceived support among wives r = .54, p < .001, while happiness was not significantly correlated with either resilience or perceived social support. In contrast, husbands’ happiness was strongly correlated with resilience r = .40, p < .01 and perceived social support, r = .27, p < .05. Additionally, husbands’ happiness was positively correlated with wives’ resilience, r = .41, p < .01, indicating dyadic crossover effect. These findings suggest that resilience and social support operate differently across genders, with resilience, particularly among wives, when reinforced through strong social support networks serves as a critical determinant enhancing both individual and partner well-being. Resilience, specifically when reinforced through strong social support networks, emerges as a critical determinant of psychological well-being among infertile couples. Interventions aimed at strengthening resilience and enhancing perceived support through dyadic coping may mitigate the psychosocial burden of infertility.