According to a shocking new study, women with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) are eight times more likely to attempt suicide than those without the common hormonal disorder.
According to data, 8% to 13% of women in their reproductive years are affected with PCOS, which affects an estimated 5 million to 6 million American women. Many people don’t even realize they have the illness until they make fruitless attempts to conceive.
The study’s authors concluded, “This highlights the significance of routinely checking on the mental health and risk of suicide of those with PCOS diagnoses.”
Tien-Wei Hsu, MD, of the psychiatry department at E-Da Dachang Hospital in Taiwan, and his colleagues noted that although “evidence about the risk for suicide in persons diagnosed with PCOS remains inconclusive,” “persons with PCOS face a heightened susceptibility to suicide attempts and self-harm compared with those without the condition.”
What the study revealed?
Hsu and associates looked at data from 18,960 women, ages 12 to 64, who received a PCOS diagnosis between 1997 and 2012. After that, each woman was matched 1:10 with control subjects.
The researchers discovered that, even after controlling for demographics, psychiatric comorbid disorders, and all-cause clinical visits, patients with PCOS had an overall 8.47-fold (95% CI, 7.54-9.51) greater risk for suicide attempts compared to the control group.
HRs across age groups were:
5.38 (95% CI, 3.93-7.37) among adolescents;
9.15 (95% CI, 8.03-10.42) among young adults; and
3.75 (95% CI, 2.23-6.28) among older adults.
In addition to unemployment and fertility problems, Hsu and colleagues concluded that the risk of suicide among young adults with PCOS “may be related to the persistence of psychological distress, body dissatisfaction, and reproductive concerns.”
They proposed that better hormone levels and clinical symptoms may play a role in the decreased risk of suicide observed in persons with PCOS.
The study included many drawbacks, such as a possible underestimating of the prevalence of mental illnesses and PCOS.
What previous studies suggested?
According to earlier research, women with PCOS are more likely to experience mental health issues such schizophrenia, sadness, anxiety, and personality problems.
The Taiwanese researchers noted the stigmas connected with symptoms including obesity and infertility, writing, “Challenges associated with fertility and the management of PCOS symptoms could further compound existing mental health challenges.”
The actual etiology of PCOS is unknown, although it is characterized by increased hormone production from the ovaries. There is no known cure for PCOS.
Nonetheless, birth control, drugs that prevent the effects of excess hormones, and an insulin-level-regulating, well-balanced diet can all help manage symptoms.
Also read: https://powercorridors.in/what-is-cervical-cancer-its-causes-symptoms-and-treatment/
