Polycystic ovary syndrome sufferers face greater suicide risk: study

Women’s Health

By Adriana Diaz

Women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) are eight times more likely to attempt suicide than women without the common hormonal condition, a shocking new study has found.

An estimated 5 million to 6 million American women have PCOS, which affects some 8% to 13% of women of childbearing age, statistics show. Many don’t even know they have the disorder until they unsuccessfully try to get pregnant.

PCOS can affect a woman’s fertility and appearance — developing acne, excess hair growth, obesity and irregular periods can greatly reduce their quality of life.

Now, a study published Tuesday in the Annals of Internal Medicine has found that PCOS sufferers face an 8.47-fold increased risk of suicide attempts.

Notably, youth with the incurable, but treatable condition have a 5.38-fold elevated risk.

“This suggests the importance of routine monitoring of mental health and suicide risk in persons diagnosed with PCOS,” the study authors wrote.

Researchers from Taipei Veterans General Hospital in Taiwan analyzed data from nearly 19,000 females 12 to 64 years old diagnosed with PCOS between 1997 and 2012.

The patients were matched with women in a control group by age, income, and physical and mental health conditions.

The risk of suicide attempts is 9.15 times higher for PCOS-afflicted adults under 40 and 3.75 times higher for older adults, compared with the control groups, per the study.

The lower risk for older adults could be linked to an easing of PCOS symptoms with age, the researchers suggest.

Prior studies have shown that women diagnosed with PCOS have a higher risk of developing psychiatric conditions, such as depression, anxiety, personality disorders, and schizophrenia.

“Challenges associated with fertility and the management of PCOS symptoms could further compound existing mental health challenges,” the Taiwanese researchers wrote as they acknowledged the stigmas surrounding symptoms such as obesity and infertility.

There is no cure for PCOS, which occurs when ovaries produce excess hormones, and the exact cause of the condition is unknown.

However, symptoms can be managed with birth control, medications that block the effects of the excess hormones, and a well-balanced diet to control insulin levels.

Several celebrities, including “Pretty Little Liars” actress Sasha Pieterse, 27, have come forward with their PCOS struggles. Pieterse said she gained 70 pounds as a teenager due to PCOS.

“If you think about the disorder itself… you could see how that medical disorder could create psychological stress,” Dr G. Thomas Ruiz, a California-based OB/GYN, told Medical News Today this week.

“The basic challenge [can be that] you’re overweight… You’re a woman that may be growing a beard. You’re not getting periods,” he continued. “And it’s like this wicked cycle because of the high insulin and you try to do things to lose weight and you don’t lose weight. And what if you want to get pregnant? Well, you can’t get pregnant if you’re not ovulating.”