Type D Personality, Stress Levels, and Coping Strategies in Women with Androgenetic Alopecia and Polycystic Ovary Syndrome.

BACKGROUND The study was aimed to determine level of stress and using of coping strategies and frequency of type D personality in women with androgenetic alopecia with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), to correlate personality type with level of stress and coping strategies, and to correlate severity of alopecia with personality type, level of stress, and coping strategies. MATERIAL AND METHODS The study was conducted in 2023 and included 146 Polish women aged 18 to 45 years with androgenetic alopecia and PCOS. A questionnaire containing social-demographic data, gynecological and obstetric history, health history, history of diagnosis, and treatment of PCOS in the past and present. Three standardized questionnaires were used: the Type-D Scale (DS)-14, Perceived Stress Scale (PSS)-10, and Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced (COPE) inventory. RESULTS Type D personality was found in 45% of patients. Most patients perceived high levels of stress (44%) and most frequently used active and supportive strategies, with avoidance strategies being less frequent. Women with type D personality experienced significantly higher levels of stress, used active strategies less often, and used avoidant strategies more often. Stages of androgenetic alopecia did not correlate with type D personality or levels of perceived stress. CONCLUSIONS In women with androgenetic alopecia, type D personality is determinative of a high level of perceived stress and more frequent use of dysfunctional coping strategies. The severity of the condition did not correlate with personality type and level of stress, while it was related to certain coping strategies.

Anxiety and Depression in Women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome.

Background and Objectives: Mental health disorders are often the consequence of hormonal disorders such as those accompanying polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), where changes in appearance and having to deal with a number of other problems occur due to this illness. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence and severity of anxiety and depression symptoms, the level of ego-resiliency, and the ways that women with PCOS cope with stress compared to healthy women in order to determine the influence of socio-demographic characteristics in relation to levels of anxiety and depression with ego-resiliency and stress-coping methods. Materials and Methods: The study was conducted in Poland in 2021 and included 230 women with PCOS and 199 healthy controls aged 20-40 years old. The hospital anxiety and depression scale (HADs), ego-resiliency scale, as well as the MINI-COPE inventory were used. Results: The women with PCOS had higher levels of anxiety and depression and poorer ego-resiliency in comparison to the healthy women. The women with PCOS used passive stress-coping strategies significantly more commonly than the healthy women. Living in rural areas, having a lower level of education and being childless increased anxiety levels. Similarly, being over 30, living in a rural area, having a lower level of education, being childless, and being obese increased depression levels in the women with PCOS. A low level of ego-resiliency and passive stress-coping strategies are predictors of high levels of anxiety and depression in women with PCOS. Conclusions: Women with PCOS should be checked for anxiety and depression. They should also be checked to see whether they have the resources to cope with chronic stress in order to optimize therapeutic interventions.

Depression in Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is an endocrine disorder with a broad spectrum of clinical symptoms. Some of the serious complications of PCOS are mental disorders including depression. Therefore, the aim of the meta-analysis was to determine the prevalence, mean level, standardized mean difference and probability of depression based on the research conducted with the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). A systematic literature search was performed using the following databases: PubMed, EMBASE, Scopus, ClinicalTrials.gov and Google for research published until January 2023. The meta-analysis was conducted on a group of 4002 patients obtained from 19 studies, which met the inclusion criteria (adult pre-menopausal women diagnosed with PCOS, papers on the prevalence of depression or the HADS scoring). According to the research performed, the mean prevalence of depression was 31% (I2 = 93%; p < 0.001), whereas the mean HADS depression score in patients with PCOS was 6.31 (I2 = 93%; p < 0.001). The standardized difference of mean depression scores was SMD = 0.421 (95% confidence interval = 0.17-0.68, I2 = 67%). The overall probability of depression in PCOS patients was more than 2.5-fold higher than in healthy women ((RR: 2.58), confidence interval [1.38-4.85]; I2 = 90%, p < 0.001). The research results imply an increased risk of depressive symptoms in women with PCOS.