Persistent risk: psychological comorbidity in polycystic ovary syndrome

Abstract

Growing consistent evidence suggests increasing prevalence of psychological disorders such as anxiety, depression, and helplessness in patients with PCOS.12-19 Moreover, it has been found that women with PCOS are at an increased risk of social phobia, painful emotional stress, suicidal ideation, bipolar disorder, and attention-deficit/ hyperactivity disorder.20–22 Anxiety and depression are two major PCOS-associated psychological comorbidities, and high incidence of these disorders is a substantial public health burden. Women with PCOS suffer from anxiety (29%–50% vs 18%) and depression (57% vs 7%) compared to age-matched women without PCOS.12,14,15,23 Of note, the reported depression prevalence in PCOS patients is higher than other chronic diseases including diabetes, lupus, and coronary artery disease with 28%, 26%, and 18% prevalence rate, respectively.24-26