Depression, sexual satisfaction, and other psychological issues in women with polycystic ovary syndrome

Abstract

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) increases the risk of depression, poor quality of life, and low sexual satisfaction of women. The aim of the study was to evaluate the prevalence of these disorders and to assess the need for psychological consultation at the time of PCOS diagnosis. A case-control single-center study of 250 women who were diagnosed with PCOS voluntarily filled in an anonymous, interactive questionnaire. The inquiry form included 27 questions covering the woman’s characteristics, satisfaction with their outer appearance and sexual life, as well as the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). Based on the BDI, 52% (130/250) of studied women presented depressive symptoms. This group had significantly higher body mass index (29.5 ± 8.1 vs. 24.6 ± 5.8; p<.001) and a lower level of self-attractiveness than other studied women (3.3 ± 2.2 vs. 5.4 ± 2.3; p<.001). Forty two percent (106/250) of women viewed themselves as unattractive. A correlation between reduced sexual satisfaction and a sense of low attractiveness was noted (r = 0.465, p<.001). Sixty four percent (160/250) of women believed that psychological consultation should be offered to all PCOS women. Treatment of PCOS women should be multidisciplinary and include psychological counseling, especially in obese PCOS women with inadequate family support and dissatisfied with their sexual life.

Chinese abstract

多囊卵巢综合征（PCOS）增加抑郁症的风险, 生活质量差, 性满意度低。该研究的目的是评估这些疾病的患病率, 并在诊断PCOS时进行心理咨询的必要。一项病例对照单中心研究对250名被诊断为多囊卵巢综合征的妇女进行了匿名的互动问卷调查。调查问卷包括27个问题, 涵盖了女性的性格、对她们的外表和性生活的满意度以及贝克抑郁量表（BDI）。基于BDI, 52%（130/250）的被研究女性表现出抑郁症状。该组体重指数（29.5 ± 8.1比24.6 ± 5.8；P＜.001＝明显高于其它研究对象, 自我吸引力较其他研究对象显著降低（3.3 ± 2.2比5.4 ± 2.3；P＜.001）。百分之四十二（106/250）的女性认为自己没有吸引力。性别满意度降低与低吸引力感相关（r 1/4, 0.465, P＜.001）。百分之六十四（160/250）的女性认为应向所有PCOS妇女提供心理咨询。多囊卵巢综合征患者的治疗应是多学科的, 包括心理咨询, 尤其是家庭支持不足和对她们性生活不满意的肥胖多囊卵巢综合征妇女中。

Keywords:

• Polycystic ovary syndrome
• depression
• sexuality
• mood disorders
• quality of life

Disclosure statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.