Frequency and correlates of comorbid depression in polycystic ovary syndrome

Abstract

Women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) often suffer from psychiatric comorbidities, including depression. Data on the prevalence of depression in Bangladeshi women with PCOS are currently lacking. In this cross-sectional study, conducted in a tertiary hospital of Bangladesh, we evaluated 200 newly diagnosed patients with PCOS aged 18-45 years and 200 otherwise healthy women without PCOS of similar age-group for the presence of depression and its predisposing factors. Depression was assessed by administering the PRIME-MD Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9). PHQ-9 score ≥10 was considered as the threshold for major depression, and a score <5 was labeled as no depression. The frequencies of major depression in PCOS and control groups were 51% and 19%, respectively. The women with PCOS had a 5.12-fold higher risk of major depression in comparison to the non-PCOS controls. PCOS subjects having prediabetes/diabetes had a higher risk of major depression than those with normal glucose tolerance, and those with hyperprolactinemia had a lower risk than those having normal prolactin levels. Age, marital status, obesity, hypertension, menstrual irregularity, hirsutism, acne, dyslipidemia, serum testosterone, and serum TSH levels had no significant influence on the presence of depression. Screening for depression should be done routinely in PCOS patients.