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PCOS & Mental Health...personal protection...

Writer's picture: PCOS Vitality (c)PCOS Vitality (c)


It’s the first day of Mental Health Awareness Week. This year’s theme is “kindness”. We urge you to remember to be kind to your mind. We say this as those with PCOS have been found to more frequently report low self-esteem, psychological distress and eating disorders (Tay et al., 2019).


PCOS is also associated with a decreased quality of life and it is now generally agreed that the symptoms experienced by those with PCOS may contribute to depression in PCOS. Symptoms associated with fertility, facial and body hair, acne and weight problems can cause a host of problems. Studies have found increased levels of depression, anxiety and perceived stress in those with PCOS (Karjula et al., 2020)(Damone et al., 2019).


Furthermore, some studies have found that some women with PCOS had an increased odds of having psychiatric disorders such as Bipolar Disorder, Autism, Schizophrenia and ADHD but further research is needed (Cesta et al., 2016). While the exact links to PCOS and the underlying mechanisms which increase the likelihood of psychological problems remain unidentified, all of this suggests the need for those with PCOS to take care of their Mental Health.


Things that can help improve mental health include Talking Therapies, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Relaxation and Guided Imagery, Exercise and most importantly getting the right treatments that can help you to relieve symptoms. This can vary highly among individuals. So, it is important to try to see what works best for you.

Below we have included some useful general mental health links below which we hope will be of use to you. This Mental Health Awareness Week, take the right steps to help you cope better with PCOS and reduce your risk of longer term psychological difficulties. Take care of yourself and protect your psychological wellbeing.


©PCOS Vitality, 2020

NOT MEDICAL ADVICE – PCOS Vitality does not recommend any particular course of action. Information Provided in Good Faith. Always consult your healthcare provider.

References

Cesta, C. E., Månsson, M., Palm, C., Lichtenstein, P., Iliadou, A. N., & Landén, M. (2016). Polycystic ovary syndrome and psychiatric disorders: Co-morbidity and heritability in a nationwide Swedish cohort. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 73, 196–203. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psyneuen.2016.08.005

Damone, A. L., Joham, A. E., Loxton, D., Earnest, A., Teede, H. J., & Moran, L. J. (2019). Depression, anxiety and perceived stress in women with and without PCOS: a community-based study. Psychological Medicine, 49(9), 1510–1520. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0033291718002076

Karjula, S., Morin-Papunen, L., Franks, S., Auvinen, J., Järvelin, M.-R., Tapanainen, J. S., Jokelainen, J., Miettunen, J., & Piltonen, T. T. (2020). Population-based data at ages 31 and 46 show decreased HRQoL and life satisfaction in women with PCOS symptoms. The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. https://doi.org/10.1210/clinem/dgz256

Tay, C. T., Teede, H. J., Hill, B., Loxton, D., & Joham, A. E. (2019). Increased prevalence of eating disorders, low self-esteem, and psychological distress in women with polycystic ovary syndrome: a community-based cohort study. Fertility and Sterility, 112(2), 353–361. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fertnstert.2019.03.027

Cesta, C. E., Månsson, M., Palm, C., Lichtenstein, P., Iliadou, A. N., & Landén, M. (2016). Polycystic ovary syndrome and psychiatric disorders: Co-morbidity and heritability in a nationwide Swedish cohort. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 73, 196–203. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psyneuen.2016.08.005

Damone, A. L., Joham, A. E., Loxton, D., Earnest, A., Teede, H. J., & Moran, L. J. (2019). Depression, anxiety and perceived stress in women with and without PCOS: a community-based study. Psychological Medicine, 49(9), 1510–1520. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0033291718002076

Karjula, S., Morin-Papunen, L., Franks, S., Auvinen, J., Järvelin, M.-R., Tapanainen, J. S., Jokelainen, J., Miettunen, J., & Piltonen, T. T. (2020). Population-based data at ages 31 and 46 show decreased HRQoL and life satisfaction in women with PCOS symptoms. The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. https://doi.org/10.1210/clinem/dgz256

Tay, C. T., Teede, H. J., Hill, B., Loxton, D., & Joham, A. E. (2019). Increased prevalence of eating disorders, low self-esteem, and psychological distress in women with polycystic ovary syndrome: a community-based cohort study. Fertility and Sterility, 112(2), 353–361. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fertnstert.2019.03.027

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