PCOS women are also likely to notice severe symptoms of depression compared to others. Most of the findings on PCOS and mental health has focused on depression, but it is also associated with an increased possibility of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), bipolar disorder, and eating disorders.
Furthermore, various scales revealed that women with PCOS experience more severe symptoms of depression, anxiety, obsessive compulsive disorder, and somatization disorders than women without PCOS.
People who have been diagnosed with PCOS are about 3 times more likely to be diagnosed with anxiety and depression than people without PCOS (1-3). People with PCOS are also much more likely to report symptoms of anxiety and depression and those symptoms are more likely to be severe (3-5).
In a study on psychological disorders in women with PCOS, higher risks for depression disorder (2.79% higher), anxiety disorder (2.75% higher), bipolar disorder (1.78% higher), and major depression disorder (1.37% higher) were reported for women with this syndrome than the general population.
Previous studies have found that women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) have some degree of brain function change as well as cognitive function and emotions, such as poor executive functioning and memory, anxiety and depressive symptoms.
Researchers at the University of Cardiff assessed the mental health history of more than 17,000 women diagnosed with the condition and the results showed that those with PCOS were more likely to be diagnosed with depression, anxiety and bipolar disorder.
Child maltreatment is independently associated with PCOS in women without psychiatric disorders. In the context of all maltreatment subtypes, emotional abuse remained associated with PCOS, suggesting its unique effect on this endocrinopathy.
Lifetime prevalence and incidence of psychosis
The lifetime prevalence (until age 50) of any psychoses in women with PCOS was 8.1% (compared to 2.8% for controls; p = 0.004).
It's no surprise then that in women, we might expect OCD symptoms to be triggered or to worsen during periods of fluctuating hormones. In fact, a study using a sample of 86,000 women found that 1.7 to 4 percent of them had their first onset of OCD after childbirth.
Some research studies have found evidence to suggest that oxytocin is associated with OCD. We review the growing evidence that suggests oxytocin and gonadal steroids might play a role in the pathogenesis of some forms of OCD.
OCD symptoms often seem to correlate with hormonal changes. For example, onset during puberty or in the postpartum period is common, and some female patients report monthly fluctuations in their symptoms.
Women with PCOS often report signs of mood swings, depression and anxiety. Mood swings can feel like rapidly fluctuating emotions that can manifest as irritability, temper, sadness and/or anxiety that results from hormonal imbalance. Many women do experience signs of mood swings, especially near their menstrual cycle.
Obesity, hirsutism, and infertility may reduce self-confidence and create depressive symptoms in patients with PCOS. In addition, changes in hormonal levels may lead to anxiety directly. Possibly, depressive symptoms are a secondary reflection of these changes.
Ovasitol is a supplement designed for women with PCOS and is very helpful in promoting regular periods. Plus, one study showed Ovasitol may reduce anxiety in women with PCOS as well (4).
So it would seem there is a strong likelihood that traumatic events, or prolonged stress responses, can activate the expression of PCOS-related symptoms.
The most recent systematic review and metanalysis show that women with PCOS are many times more likely, in comparison to other women, to develop moderate to severe anxiety symptoms (as much as six times more likely) and depression symptoms (up to four times more likely) [4,19,22].
Lifestyle changes
Exercise and diet has been shown to be very effective way of dealing with PCOS. Even just a 5-10% reduction in weight can create positive changes to the metabolic, reproductive, and psychological symptoms.
Compared to unaffected controls, women with PCOS had a significantly increased risk of developing bipolar disorder after adjusting for age, medical comorbidity, and different treatment options (1.05 vs. 0.12 per 1,000 person-years, HR: 8.29, 95% CI: 4.65–14.7).
So as well as improving depressive symptoms, antidepressants may have beneficial effects on endocrine, metabolic and reproductive functions in women with PCOS. All of these effects may lead to improvements in the QoL of women with PCOS. In theory, antidepressants could benefit all women with PCOS.
Lea Michele
The Glee star has opened up about being diagnosed with PCOS after experiencing severe acne and fluctuating weight. “The side effects [of PCOS] can be brutal — like weight gain and bad skin,” Lea shared with Health. “I went to a great doctor, and the minute she looked at me, she was like, 'Oh, you have PCOS.
Depression and anxiety are common in women with PCOS but are often overlooked and therefore left untreated. Along with the physical disturbances, many mental problems are also associated with PCOS.
Women with PCOS are known to have a higher risk of developing depression and adult ADHD. This risk, in turn, might cause an increase in psychiatric morbidity in their children [18].
However, their PCOS hormonal imbalance does not change with age, so they may continue to have symptoms of PCOS. Also, the risks of PCOS-related health problems, such as diabetes, stroke, and heart attack, increase with age. These risks may be higher in women with PCOS than those without.
PCOS is a condition in which a woman's ovaries and adrenal glands produce more androgens than usual. 1 Androgens are generally considered male hormones. While all women produce some androgens, women with PCOS have higher levels of these hormones, leading to increased hair growth, acne, and weight gain.