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Psychiatric morbidity in gynecological outpatients
Author(s) -
Judd Fiona,
Stafford Lesley,
Gibson Penelope,
Komiti Angela,
Bryant Christina
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
journal of obstetrics and gynaecology research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.597
H-Index - 50
eISSN - 1447-0756
pISSN - 1341-8076
DOI - 10.1111/j.1447-0756.2011.01808.x
Subject(s) - medicine , neuroticism , psychosocial , anxiety , depression (economics) , psychiatry , panic disorder , generalized anxiety disorder , patient health questionnaire , stressor , major depressive disorder , panic , mental health , personality , depressive symptoms , psychology , mood , social psychology , economics , macroeconomics
Aim: To assess the prevalence of depression and anxiety in women presenting with gynecological symptoms, to determine how many women with these disorders were receiving treatment for them, and to investigate risk factors for these disorders. Method: Two hundred and sixty‐four women seeking medical care from gynecology clinics at a specialist women's hospital completed a self‐report questionnaire asking about sociodemographics, physical and mental health, personality (neuroticism) and psychosocial stressors. Results: A total of 91 women met the diagnostic criteria for one or more Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ) diagnosis. Forty‐six (17.4%) met criteria for major depressive disorder (MDD), 15 (5.7%) for panic disorder (PD) and 73 (27.7%) for generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). Thirty‐nine (42.9%) of the 91 women met criteria for two or more disorders. An additional 23 (8.7%) met DSM‐IV‐TR criteria for minor (sub‐threshold) depression. Fifty percent with MDD, 4% with minor depression, 53% with PD and 22% with GAD reported they were receiving treatment. Psychosocial stressors and the neuroticism score were risk factors for both anxiety and depression. Conclusions: Anxiety and depression are common amongst women attending a gynecology clinic. Clinicians should be alert to the possibility of these disorders and make specific enquiries about their emotional wellbeing.