Polycystic Ovary Syndrome and Mental Health: A Call to Action
April 2018
in “
Fertility and sterility
”
Studysummary This position statement from the Androgen Excess-Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Society highlights the need to address the overlooked behavioral and psychosocial issues like depression, anxiety, and eating disorders in women with PCOS, emphasizing the lack of adequate evidence-based treatments for these challenges. Our plain-language summary of this paper — not a Tressless recommendation.
The document highlighted the significant gap in addressing the mental health and quality of life issues in women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS), despite advances in managing its physical symptoms. It emphasized that PCOS is associated with a lower self-reported quality of life, largely due to comorbidities like hirsutism and obesity, but also noted that depression, anxiety, and eating disorders are prevalent and not fully explained by these comorbidities. The authors called for more evidence-based treatments and systematic screening for these behavioral challenges, suggesting that reproductive endocrinologists, who frequently interact with PCOS patients, should lead these efforts.
