Depression and anxiety in hypothyroidism

The aim of the study was to determine the prevalence and severity of depression and anxiety in patients with hypothyroidism and to compare this with euthyroid patients. Thirty patients with hypothyroidism and 30 euthyroid controls attending the Endocrinology outpatient department of Celal Bayar University, Medical Faculty were included in the study. The hormonal screening was done by immunoassay and haemagglutination methods. Then, for psychiatric assessment, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HAD), Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D), and Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAM-A) were used. There was no difference between the two groups in terms of demographic features. Total scores obtained from the scales used in the study did not differ significantly (p > 0.05). The frequency of items of both HAM-D and HAM-A did not show any differences in the two groups. By Wilks' Lambda discriminant analysis, depressive mood (HAM-D#1) was found to be the discriminating feature between the hypothyroid group and the euthyroid group. Therefore, depression and anxiety were not outstanding features in hypothyrodism. However, depression was more significant in the hypothyroid than euthyroid group

Relationship of sexuality with psychological and hormonal features in the menopausal period

Women may experience some mental and sexual problems between the ages of 40 years and 60 years due to serious changes in the hormonal system. The aim of this study was to examine the relationships between the changes in sex hormones, sexual behaviours, depression and anxiety levels of women who were in either the premenopausal, perimenopausal or postmenopausal period. The subjects of this cross-sectional study consisted of 324 women who attended the Gynaecology and Obstetrics Out-Patient Ward of Celal Bayar University Hospital. Of this group, 37.0 (n = 124) were postmenopausal, 27.2 (n = 84) perimenopausal and 35.8 (n = 116) premenopausal. Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), State and Trait Anxiety Inventories (STAI-I and II) and a questionnaire on sexual behaviour which was prepared for this study by the authors, were applied to all of the attendees and serum sex hormone levels were analyzed. Beck Depression Anxiety, STAI-I and STAI-II scores and sexual behaviours did not show any statistically significant difference among these three groups. The frequency of sexual intercourse was lower in women with high BDI scores. The rate of painful intercourse was higher in women with high STAI-I scores. The frequency of sexual intercourse, sexual desire and orgasm decreased and painful intercourse increased in women with high STAI-II scores. The frequency of sexual intercourse decreased significantly as the age or follicle stimulating hormone level of women increased. These findings have revealed that the menopausal state did not affect the sexual behaviour, and psychological state of women between the ages of 40 and 60 years, but the increase in anxiety and depression scores affected the sexual life in a negative manner