In vitro fertilization (IVF) offers transformative opportunities for women facing infertility; however, it also presents significant challenges to their mental health. Clinical research has substantiated the need for adequate mental health support for women undergoing IVF. In this article, I argue that ethics consultation should be recognized as an important resource for providing this support. Drawing on the cognitive theory of emotion, which posits that emotions are or are caused by cognitive …
Read moreIn vitro fertilization (IVF) offers transformative opportunities for women facing infertility; however, it also presents significant challenges to their mental health. Clinical research has substantiated the need for adequate mental health support for women undergoing IVF. In this article, I argue that ethics consultation should be recognized as an important resource for providing this support. Drawing on the cognitive theory of emotion, which posits that emotions are or are caused by cognitive evaluations, I analyze the evaluative judgments and conflicts that underlie women’s emotional responses to IVF. I contend that ethics consultation can offer a distinctive form of mental health support in resolving those evaluative conflicts. Unlike cognitive therapy, which often aims to modify or correct evaluative judgments, ethics consultation validates these judgments as meaningful reflections of patients’ values and facilitates deliberative prioritization among competing values. This paper offers a theoretical framework for understanding the role of ethics consultation in providing mental health support in IVF care.
