Prevalence of depression and anxiety in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and associated factors in a quaternary hospital in Thailand: a cross-sectional study.

Background: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common gynaecological problem for women of reproductive age. Depression and anxiety are common conditions that occur in women with PCOS and have an impact on mental well-being. However, there is a lack of data on their prevalence and its associated factors in the Thai population. This cross-sectional study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of depression and anxiety among women with PCOS and identify the factors associated with depression and anxiety in women with PCOS as well as their impact on mental well-being in Thailand.

Methods: A total of 260 women aged 15 to 40 years diagnosed with PCOS based on the Rotterdam criteria were included in the study. Physical examinations were conducted, and participants completed Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and Thai version WHO-Five Well-Being Index (WHO-5 Thai) questionnaires to assess depression, anxiety, and mental well-being, respectively. The prevalence and prevalence rations (PR) with 95% confidence interval (CI) for depression and anxiety were analysed using modified Poisson regression analyses with robust variance estimators.

Results: The prevalence of depression, anxiety, and poor mental well-being among women with PCOS was found to be 3.85%, 11.92%, and 16.92%, respectively. Abdominal obesity (PR 24.25, 95% CI: 2.75-219.50; p = 0.004), poor mental well-being (PR 16.68, 95% CI: 4.02-69.18; p = < 0.001), and snoring (PR 10.26, 95% CI: 2.06-51.14; p = 0.005) were identified as factors associated with depression in women with PCOS. Having children (PR 6.22, 95% CI: 2.90-13.35; p = < 0.001), alcohol drinking (PR 3.41, 95% CI: 1.52-7.65; p = 0.003), poor mental well-being (PR 2.32, 95% CI: 1.14-4.74; p = 0.021), and hirsutism (PR 2.23, 95% CI: 1.18-4.22; p = 0.014) were found to be relative factors for anxiety in women with PCOS.

Conclusion: Women with PCOS is associated with high prevalences of depression and anxiety. Poor mental well-being was identified as key factors associated with both depression and anxiety in women with PCOS. Based on these findings, the present study suggests that screening for depression and anxiety should be conducted for all women with PCOS, especially those who present with poor mental well-being.