The meaning of menorrhagia: an investigation into the association between the complaint of menorrhagia and depression

Abstract

Although it is generally assumed that the complaint of menorrhagia indicates gynaecological pathology, there is evidence to suggest that it can also be a manifestation of psychological disturbance. In order to investigate this hypothesis 50 women with this complaint were assessed by means of a semi-structured interview, General Health Questionnaire (GHQ) and Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (EPQ), and blood investigations (haemoglobin and serum iron). The main finding was that 31/50 women had positive GHQ screening (GHQ+) and features consistent with mild to moderate depression. The tendency for the GHQ+ women to have evidence of less severe menstrual bleeding and greater psychological vulnerability is consistent with the original hypothesis and implies that further research in this area is warranted.