ABSTRACT
PCOS is a multifaceted disorder with multiple potential risk factors [e.g. infertility, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and metabolic syndrome]. PCOS affects quality of life and can worsen anxiety and depression either due to the features of PCOS or due to the diagnosis of a chronic disease. This study aimed to determine the risk factors of PCOS in a group of patients. In this descriptive-analytic study, 81 patients with PCOS were studied in Vali-e-Asr Reproductive Health Research Center, Tehran, Iran. A questionnaire with items related to stress information was used for data collection. Stress symptoms were assessed using the Understanding Yourself standard questionnaire. Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS 13.0 [SPSS Inc., Chicago, ILL, USA]. Data are presented as mean +/- SD or as frequency with percentages. P-value less than 0.05 were considered as statistically significant. The evaluation of psychological signs in 81 PCO patients and descriptive results showed that 8 [9.9%] had not any stress problem, 32 [39.5%] had neurotic stress, 29 [35.8%] had high level and 12 [14.8%] had extremely high level of stress. The age range of 26 years and more [P=0.023], touchy personality [P = 0.028] and acne [P = 0.015] related with high stress level. The odds of high level of anxiety in women with hirsutism was 3.1 [95%CI 1.00 to 9.59]. The odds of high level of obsession in overweight patients was 3.2 [95%CI 1.12 to 9.234]. The odds of high level of worrisome in patients with touchy personality was 3.4 [95%CI 1.10 to 11.19]. Obsession score had a correlation with illness duration [r = -0.268, P = 0.038]. These data showed that clinical signs of PCOS are the most closely associated with psychological distress and this has important implications for the diagnosis and treatment of disorders