Mental distress has been suggested as an etiological factor of fertility problems. The aim of the study was to investigate the predictive value of common mental symptoms for fertility problems in a population sample.

The predictive value of anxiety and depression symptoms for incident fertility problems over an 11 year span was investigated in a N=5,873 female sub-sample from the Nord-Trøndelag Health Studies (HUNT 1 and HUNT 2). Only women who had not experienced fertility problems at the time of HUNT 1 were included. Fertility problems were reported retrospectively at HUNT 2. Sub-/infertility was defined as having tried to get pregnant for more than one year without success. Symptoms of anxiety and depression at HUNT 1 were measured by the one-dimensional 12-item Anxiety Depression Index (ADI).

Mean age at HUNT 2 was 42 years (S.D. 4.96, range 28-49). N=152 reported having tried to get pregnant for more than one year. No predictive value of anxiety and/or depression symptoms for sub-/infertility was found (crude OR=0.97 (95% CI=0.82; 1.15), p=0.736; analyses adjusted for age, level of education, civil status, somatic conditions, parity, and gynaecological surgery: OR=0.97 (95% CI=0.81; 1.15), p=0.687). Results were comparable in a sub-sample who had never been pregnant.

There is no prospective effect of common mental health symptoms on incident fertility problems in women. This zero-finding emerges from a large population-based data set with a long follow-up interval, and it provides evidence against the hypothesised causal relationship between mental distress and sub-/infertility.