Mental Health as Assessed by the Symptom Checklist 90 (SCL-90) Scores in Women with and Without Polycystic Ovary Syndrome

July 2025 in “ Journal of Clinical Medicine ”

Marie‐Louise Marschalek, Rodrig Marculescu, Christian Schneeberger, Julian Marschalek, Marlene Hager, Robert Krysiak, Johannes Ott

TLDR Women with PCOS experience more psychological symptoms and need emotional support.

This study assessed psychological symptoms in 31 women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and 31 healthy controls using the SCL-90 questionnaire. Results showed that women with PCOS had significantly higher scores in seven out of nine subscales, indicating increased psychological symptoms such as depression and anxiety. These symptoms were positively correlated with perceived stress and helplessness, and negatively correlated with self-efficacy. The findings suggest a need for emotional support and improved coping strategies for women with PCOS.

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