Anxiety of myoma patients: results of standardized interviews with the State Trait Anxiety Inventory and the Kessler 10 questionnaire.

Introduction: The aim of this study was to explore a possible relation between myoma-related anxieties and general state or trait anxiety or psychological distress, to get a better understanding of the impact of anxiety on the patients.Methods: This prospective study was conducted at the myoma clinic of a large university hospital in a major European city from November 2016 to February 2017. Patients completed standardized questionnaires on myoma-related fears, the State Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), and the Kessler 10.Results: Eighty-five out of 88 women agreed to participate. State-anxiety on the STAI had a mean of 49.4 (11 points above the norm (p < .001)), and trait-anxiety had a mean of 42.0 (5 points above the norm (p = .001)). Thirty-seven percent of the patients had distress values on the K10 above the norm (defined as <20). More myoma-related fears correlated with higher scores on the Kessler and STAI. The scores were not related to the level of information about myomas or duration of illness.Conclusions: Myoma-related fears correlated with higher mental distress and elevated state and trait anxiety levels. Thus, physicians can contribute to the overall well-being of patients when they relieve them of the myoma-related anxiety. Further research is needed to determine whether treatment has any impact on anxiety or mental distress.

Patients' beliefs about the causes of myomas: a pilot study from a large European city.

INTRODUCTION: Patients usually develop subjective concepts about their illness, which then influences their further health behaviors and treatment decisions. This study aimed to evaluate several possible patient beliefs about the causal factors of illness, in a large sample of women seeking treatment for myomas. METHODS: From November 2011 to October 2013, all patients at a specialized myoma clinic in a large European city were surveyed about their beliefs about the causes of myomas. We used a modified version of the Patient Theory Questionnaire from Zenz et al., which presented 16 of the most common possible beliefs about the causes of myomas, and asked patients to rate them on a five-point scale of likelihood. Retrospectively, statistical analysis was performed on their answers and sociodemographic data. RESULTS: Data from 482 patients was included (return rate of 91.5%). The most frequent answers for possible causes were "inherited susceptibility for myomas" (67.3%), "reorganization in the body during a particular phase of life" (63.5%), "stress at work or home" (49.3%) and "an in-born tendency to react to emotional agitation with physical disorders" (41.8%). Significant differences were found for the factors of age, immigration background and self-rated knowledge about myomas. CONCLUSIONS: It is curious that two of the four most common explanations for myomas were stress and somatization, and were endorsed by nearly half of all patients. Physicians seeing women for myomas should consider that many such patients may have further hidden reasons for seeking medical care.

The effect of myoma uteri and myomectomy on sexual function.

INTRODUCTION: This is a report about the effects of myoma uteri and myomectomy on sexual function in women. AIM: The aim of this article was to determine the effects of myoma uteri and myomectomy on sexual function in women. METHOD: The study was designed as a controlled clinical study in an academic clinical research center. The study patients consisted of 80 women with myoma uteri and 75 control women. Baseline characteristics and properties of the myomas were recorded. A validated questionnaire was used to determine pre- and postoperative sexual function in the patients. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Female sexual function index (FSFI) scores of the women were recorded before and after surgery. RESULTS: Women with myoma uteri had lower FSFI pain and satisfaction scores than women without it, even after correction for possible confounders. Fundal and posterior myomas were associated with pain, whereas only posterior myomas were related to the overall FSFI scores. However, although there was no relation between the volume of the myomas and the FSFI scores, women with a uterine volume over 200 cm(3) had significantly lower mean FSFI satisfaction, pain, and total scores. The mean FSFI pain and total scores of the patients improved significantly after undergoing a myomectomy. CONCLUSIONS: The findings of this study suggest that a potential impairment of sexual function exists in women with myomas. This is mainly because of pain during sexual intercourse, although it does not seem to have an effect on either the arousal or orgasmic phases. Furthermore, the performance of a myomectomy may alleviate pain during intercourse, and thereby improve sexual function in the patients.

[Impact of man-made load on patients' life quality]. / Vliianie antropogennoi nagruzki na "kachestvo zhizni" bol'nykh.

The present prospective study included 70 females with uterine myoma indicated for surgery. The patients lived in the city districts having different industrial loads. Life quality was studied before and different periods after surgery. The poor environment was ascertained to affect life quality in patients with uterine myoma. Testing the life quality of a patient can significantly alter our views of preparation for surgery and of postoperative rehabilitation.

Expectativas, ansiedades e imagem corporal em mulheres portadoras de miomatose uterina no pré-operatório de histerectomia / Expectations, anxieties and body image in womem with womb miomatosis considering the histerectomy pre-operational

Considerando o trabalho de rotina do grupo rotativo para as mulheres que serão submetidas a histerectomia, desenvolvido na Enfermaria da Clínica Ginecológica do Hospital das Clínicas e o Projeto temático multissetorial da Divisão de Psicologia do ICHC/FMUSP, essa pesquisa tem como objetivos investigar associações entre a percepção da imagem corporal nas mulheres e sua condição médica (miomatose uterina); a influência do grupo...

[Perioperative psychological status of patients undergoing radical mastectomy and total hysterectomy].

Using four different psychological tests, namely Spielberger's rating scale [The State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI)], Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS), Maudsley Personality Inventory (MPI) and Baum test, we investigated the perioperative psychological status of patients undergoing radical mastectomy for breast cancer and compared data with those of patients undergoing total hysterectomy for uterine myoma. Parameters reflecting the psychological status of hysterectomy patients disclosed lower postoperative anxiety, and slight nervousness and persistent depression perioperatively. In contrast, in patients with breast cancer, those with nervousness had persistent anxiety and depression, while those without nervousness showed the same persistent depression as in hysterectomy patients, as well as a high anxiety level postoperatively. Therefore, we speculate that the persistence of depressive mood during the perioperative period is a factor in the psychological disturbance of mastectomy patients with breast cancer, and moreover, they appear markedly apprehensive because of cancer. These results suggest that the persistence of anxiety and depressive mood associated with cancer is a prime factor in the etiology of postoperative psychological disturbance.