Relationship between Clinico-Socio-Demographic Factors and Psychology of Women Diagnosed with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome

Abstract

Background: Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) is an endocrine disorder affecting up to 22.5% of women of reproductive age. Women with PCOS experience high rates of depression and anxiety. Settings and Design: Cross sectional study design. Objective: Primary objective of study was to estimate the prevalence of depression, anxiety and stress among women with PCOS. Secondary objective was to analyze association of psychological factors (depression, anxiety and stress) with sociodemographic factors and clinical aspects among Indian women with PCOS. Methods: One hundred and four women in the reproductive age group (18-45 years) diagnosed with PCOS as per Rotterdam criteria, without any pre-existing psychiatric illness were interviewed for depression, anxiety and stress using DASS21 scale. Result: Out of 104 women with PCOS 46.16% suffered from mild to moderate levels of depression, 64.42% experienced (mild to extremely severe) anxiety while 53.85% reported varying degrees of stress. Women with higher BMI (overweight and obese), hirsutism scores and having acne were more susceptible to being depressed. The odds ratio for women experiencing depression were as follows: hirsutism scores was 1.113, being overweight, 5.023 (1.359 to 18.566), being obese was 3.298 (1.167 to 9.314), and having acne was 3.29 (1.267 to 8.541). Conclusion: It is observed a large percentage of women with PCOS suffer from psychological factors such as depression, anxiety and stress. Also, BMI, hirsutism and acne were found to be significant contributors to depression among women with PCOS. It is suggested that clinicians and healthcare practitioners develop and utilize a comprehensive approach in the management of PCOS based on biopsychosocial model of health.