Much of the debate surrounding Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) focuses on the physical manifestations of the disease. PCOS is the most common endocrine disorder among women of reproductive age, affecting approximately 5%–10% of women in the Western world. Women with PCOS have a wide range of symptoms such as irregular periods, hirsutism, difficulty getting pregnant or infertility, weight gain or obesity, acne and alopecia.
But while there are many physical manifestations, PCOS can also affect the mental health of those with the condition. Many adolescent girls and young adult women with PCOS report feelings of depression, anxiety and this has an additional impact on their quality of life. Numerous studies worldwide have shown a connection between Polycystic Ovary Syndrome and mental health issues. For example, women with PCOS are three times as likely to have depressive symptoms and over five times as likely to have anxiety symptoms: there is a significant risk of depression and anxiety in the young PCOS population.
Is there a connection between PCOS and mental health?
There is a strong need for immediate action on this issue, and to develop psychological health care interventions for adolescent girls and young adult women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome. In addition to further screening for mental health issues among those with PCOS, doctors and other health care professionals need to be aware of the issue and explain to their patients how therapies such as cognitive-behavioural therapy, or other interventions may help. Also, the well-established link between PCOS and mental health needs to be further investigated in research.
References used:
Chaudhari AP, Mazumdar K, Mehta PD. Anxiety, Depression, and Quality of Life in Women with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome. Indian J Psychol Med. 2018 May-Jun;40(3):239-246. doi: 10.4103/IJPSYM.IJPSYM_561_17)
(Laura G. Cooney, Iris Lee, Mary D. Sammel, Anuja Dokras, High prevalence of moderate and severe depressive and anxiety symptoms in polycystic ovary syndrome: a systematic review and meta-analysis, Human Reproduction, Volume 32, Issue 5, May 2017, Pages 1075–1091, https://doi.org/10.1093/humrep/dex044
YIN, X. et al. The mental health of women with polycystic ovary syndrome: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Archives of Women’s Mental Health, [s. l.], v. 24, n. 1, p. 11–27, 2021. DOI 10.1007/s00737-020-01043-x