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Mental Health as Assessed by the Symptom Checklist 90 (SCL-90) Scores in Women with and Without Polycystic Ovary Syndrome

Marschalek ML, Marculescu R, Schneeberger C, Marschalek J, Hager M, Krysiak R, Ott J

Journal of clinical medicine, 2025

31 participants

Abstract

Background and Objectives: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is associated with an elevated risk of impaired mental health and psychiatric disorders, such as depression and anxiety. Physical factors like weight and hirsutism, as well as psychological factors, such as self-esteem and coping strategies, are all known to have an influence on mental health status. Aim: To assess psychological symptoms in women with and without PCOS, by use of the well-established, validated self-report questionnaire: Symptom Checklist-90-Revised (SCL-90); to determine the reliability of the SCL-90 for assessment of PCOS patients. Design: Prospective case-control study. Methods: Psychological symptoms were assessed using the German version of the SCL-90 in 31 PCOS women and 31 healthy controls. To test the impact of various parameters on numerical outcome parameters, correlation analyses were conducted. Results: PCOS women revealed significantly increased SCL-90 scores in seven out of the nine subscales (hostility subscale, anxiety subscale, depression subscale, paranoid ideation subscale, psychoticism subscale, somatization subscale, interpersonal sensitivity subscale, obsessive compulsive subscale), as well as in all three global indices (p p Conclusions: PCOS women experienced higher levels of psychological symptoms including depressive and anxiety symptoms. Higher perceived stress, higher perceived helplessness and lower self-efficacy were associated with more psychological symptoms. Hence,…

How strong is the evidence?

Evidence Hub reads this as a case-control, done in people. Its evidence level is 4 of 5 (Low · observational). Observational designs can show an association but not prove cause. Reported size: 31 participants or records.

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