ABSTRACT
Introduction: Coping skills adopted by patients suffering from chronic diseases such as Polycystic OvarianSyndrome (PCOS) can impact the psychological well-being and outcome. This however has not beenadequately studied in India. The aims of the study were to to study the type of coping skills used by thepatients of PCOS, to evaluate any difference in coping skills between patients with and without psychiatricco-morbidity and to study any correlation between coping skills and quality of life and body-mass index.Materials and Methods: 70 females in the reproductive age group (18-45 years) diagnosed with PCOS asper Rotterdam’s Criteria without any pre-existing psychiatric illness were clinically interviewed forpresence of anxiety and depression. Their coping skills were assessed using Brief Cope Scale. Their qualityof life was evaluated using World Health Organization Quality Of Life –BREF Scale. The scores werecompared using paired and unpaired t test and ANOVA.Results: Patients used both adaptive and maladaptive coping skills but scores on adaptive coping skillswere higher than those on maladaptive coping. Problem focused coping was significantly higher than bothemotional coping and dysfunctional coping. There was no significant difference in the coping skills inpatients with and without psychiatric morbidity. There was no significant correlation between coping andquality of life and body-mass index.Conclusion: Coping skills did not have a significant impact on the psychiatric morbidity or quality of lifeor body-mass index among patient with PCOS.