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.

Impact of Serum Vitamin D, B6, and B12 and Cognitive Functions on Quality of Life in Peri- and Postmenopausal Polish Women.

BACKGROUND Menopause initiates or accelerates health problems in a woman’s life, and affects cognitive processes and quality of life. We aimed to assess the quality of life, cognitive functions, and serum vitamin D, B6, and B12 concentrations in perimenopausal and postmenopausal Polish women. Also, we correlated the assessment of the quality of life with these vitamin concentrations and cognitive functions. MATERIAL AND METHODS The study was conducted in 287 perimenopausal and postmenopausal women. Serum levels of vitamin D, B6, and B12, cognitive functions using CNS Vital Signs software, and quality of life using WHO Quality of Life Brief were tested. RESULTS Almost all of the perimenopausal and postmenopausal women had normal concentrations of serum vitamin B12 (96%), 80% of them had normal B6 concentration, while only 9% had optimal serum vitamin D concentration. Postmenopausal women had lower Neurocognitive Index, psychomotor speed, motor speed, reaction time, and lower assessment of overall quality of life, physical health, and social relationships compared to perimenopausal women. In comparison to postmenopausal women, perimenopausal women had a lower serum vitamin B6 concentration, and the lower the concentration of this vitamin in serum they had, the lower they assessed their environment. Perimenopausal women assessed their social relationships the better, the better the visual memory, and the lower the processing speed they had. Postmenopausal women assessed the environment the better, the higher their Neurocognition Index was, and the better the reaction time they had. CONCLUSIONS Assessment of quality of life was associated with some cognitive functions in both perimenopausal and postmenopausal women.