Body image, personality profiles and alexithymia in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)

Abstract

Aim: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common endocrine-metabolic disorder. It affects women’s physical well-being and leads to great psychological distress. Indeed, women with PCOS show a compromised quality of life as well as impaired emotional well-being. The aim of this study is to assess personality characteristics, body image and alexithymia in women with PCOS.

Materials and methods: A total of 59 women with PCOS and 38 healthy controls were administered the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS), the Body Uneasiness Test (BUT) and the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 (MMPI-2).

Results: The PCOS group showed higher values of alexithymia and a higher body uneasiness. They also showed higher values on many clinical, content and supplementary scales of the MMPI-2.

Discussion: It seems that physical appearance and bodily function have a central place in the minds of women with PCOS, as well as in their relationships. However, it is a body they find it hard to feel and with which they mostly feel uncomfortable. Their approach to the outside world seems to be characterized by a certain degree of immaturity, anger, hostility and distrust. Low self-esteem also seems to be connected to a certain tendency toward introversion and withdrawal. This leads to problems in social, professional and intimate relationships.

Keywords:

• Polycystic ovary syndrome
• personality
• alexithymia
• body image
• MMPI-2

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank Chiara Manieri and Rosa Francesca Novi, who contributed to the clinical study, and Davide Marengo, who contributed to a previous version of the manuscript.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Current knowledge on the subject

• Women with PCOS show impaired emotional well-being (in particular, anxiety and depression).

• Women with PCOS show body dissatisfaction and compromised quality of life.

• On the MMPI-2 clinical scales, patients with PCOS show higher rates of clinical elevations on depression, hysteria, psychasthenia and hypomania, as well as higher absolute scores on the same scales.

What this study adds

• In our research, women with PCOS seem to be characterized by a dysfunctional body image and a compromised emotional awareness.

• They show significant differences compared to our sample of healthy women in the mean scores of many validity, clinical, content and supplementary scales of the MMPI-2. In particular, they seem to have fewer defenses against mental suffering. Moreover, it seems that body appearance and bodily function have a central place in their mind as well as in their relationships. However, it is a body they find it hard to feel and with which they mostly feel uncomfortable.

• Their approach to the outside world seems to be conflictual, and they seem to be characterized by introversion and withdrawal. This may lead to problems in social, professional and intimate relationships.