Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2024 May;309(5):2115-2126.
doi: 10.1007/s00404-024-07452-y. Epub 2024 Mar 11.

Unmet clinical needs in women with polycystic ovary syndrome in regard to mental health: a cross-sectional study

Marina Sourouni  1 , Julia Estermann  2 , Norman Bitterlich  3 , Susanna Weidlinger  4 , Annette Bachmann  5 , Petra Stute  6
Affiliations

Unmet clinical needs in women with polycystic ovary syndrome in regard to mental health: a cross-sectional study

Marina Sourouni et al. Arch Gynecol Obstet. 2024 May.

Abstract

Purpose: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) management has hardly been standardized until recent years. Despite the existence of a detailed, evidence-based guideline published by the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE), it remains unclear to what extent healthcare providers adhere to this guideline. Our aim is to evaluate the gynaecological medical care provided in women with PCOS, particularly in terms of mental health, from the patients' perspective.

Methods: For this cross-sectional online cohort study in women with PCOS, we designed a standardized, non-validated questionnaire covering aesthetic aspects, metabolism, menstrual cycle, reproduction, mental health, and prevention of chronic non-communicable diseases.

Results: Among 1879 participants, various mental health aspects were reported: body image (n = 1879), eating patterns/habits (n = 1878), and emotional well-being (n = 1874). Although nearly all women (99.7%) reported complaints on at least one session of mental health, consultation rates were low (body image 9.7%, eating patterns/habits 16.6%, emotional well-being 4.4%). Mean satisfaction with counselling on the different domains varied from moderate to fairly satisfying, with scores of 56.0 points (SD 31.7), 53.5 points (SD 32.0), and 63.7 points (SD 30.2), respectively. More complaints were associated with lower satisfaction. The overall satisfaction with the management provided by the healthcare practitioner (HCP) was low, averaging 36.5 points (SD 29.7). Consequently, most women wished for more counselling (58.9%).

Conclusion: Women affected by PCOS are not properly managed according to ESHRE guideline in regard to mental health issues. Overall consultation rates and corresponding satisfaction with management were poor, highlighting the need for significant improvements in healthcare provision.

Keywords: Mental health; Patient satisfaction; Polycystic ovary syndrome; Unmet clinical need.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that no funds, grants, or other support was received during the preparation of this manuscript. The authors have no relevant financial or non-financial interests to disclose.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Schematic representation of the different groups for statistical analysis
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Flowchart of the record screening process
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Overall satisfaction (mean ± SEM) with gynaecologist regarding mental health issues (scale 0–100) depending on a concerns about body image, b satisfaction with eating patterns, and c mean frequency of depressive and anxiety symptoms. *Denotes statistical significance in comparison to all other groups (p < 0.05)
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

References

    1. Wang F fang, Pan J xue, Wu Y, Zhu Y hang, Hardiman PJ, Qu F (2018) American, European, and Chinese practice guidelines or consensuses of polycystic ovary syndrome: a comparative analysis. J Zhejiang Univ Sci B 19(5):354–363 - PMC - PubMed
    1. March WA, Moore VM, Willson KJ, Phillips DIW, Norman RJ, Davies MJ. The prevalence of polycystic ovary syndrome in a community sample assessed under contrasting diagnostic criteria. Hum Reprod. 2010;25(2):544–551. doi: 10.1093/humrep/dep399. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Sirmans SM, Pate KA. Epidemiology, diagnosis, and management of polycystic ovary syndrome. Clin Epidemiol. 2013;6(1):1–13. doi: 10.2147/CLEP.S37559. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Dunaif A. Insulin resistance and the polycystic ovary syndrome: mechanism and implications for pathogenesis. Endocrin Rev. 1997;18:774–800. - PubMed
    1. Hollinrake E, Abreu A, Maifeld M, Van Voorhis BJ, Dokras A. Increased risk of depressive disorders in women with polycystic ovary syndrome. Fertil Steril. 2007;87:1369–1376. doi: 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2006.11.039. - DOI - PubMed

Publication types