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Impact of endometriosis on quality of life, anxiety, and depression: an Austrian perspective

  • Gynecologic Endocrinology and Reproductive Medicine
  • Published:
Archives of Gynecology and Obstetrics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

Several studies on the quality of life in patients with endometriosis have been performed with conflicting results. This cross-section survey examines the influence of endometriosis on the psychological well-being and the quality of life and the incidence of anxiety and depression among these patients, recruited from a tertiary care center in Austria.

Methods

Three standardized questionnaires of 62 patients with endometriosis were evaluated: status of health questionnaire (SF-36), hospital anxiety and depression scale (HADS-D), and endometriosis health profile (EHP-30). Quality of life status (EHP-30) was compared with published samples of the Oxford hospital and the Charite Berlin. Chi-square tests, independent sample t-tests, and one-way independent ANCOVA’s were used to compare SF- 36 and HADS- D scores to 61 healthy controls. Pearson product-moment-correlation coefficients were used to investigate correlations between symptoms of depression and anxiety in the patient sample.

Results

Moderate to severe anxiety symptoms were found in 29 %; depressive symptoms were present in 14.5 % of the patients. Both symptoms occurred in 12.9 %. We found significant better values in all subscales of the EHP compared to the Oxford and Berlin samples. The control sample showed significant better subjective general health (p < 0.001), vitality (p < 0.001), mental health (p < 0.001), and better emotional role functioning (p < 0.001). Participants age significantly influenced mental health and emotional role functioning.

Conclusions

The impact of endometriosis on life quality in our study was considerably less than in other studies but equivalent to other chronic medical conditions. It could be shown that endometriosis is influenced by biopsychosocial variables. However, the elevated presence of anxiety and depressive symptoms indicates the need of psychosomatic treatment of affective disorders to prevent manifestation.

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Conflict of interest

The authors report no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institut für Psychologie, Universität Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria

    F. Friedl, S. Fessler & M. Walter

  2. Universitätsklinik für Medizinische Psychologie, Department für Psychiatrie und Psychotherapie, Medizinische Universität Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria

    D. Riedl & G. Schüßler

  3. Universitätsklinik für gynäkologische Endokrinologie und Reproduktionsmedizin, Department Frauenheilkunde, Medizinische Universität Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria

    L. Wildt & B. Böttcher

  4. Universitätsklinikum Eppendorf, Zentrum für Innere Medizin, Poliklinik für Psychosomatik und Psychotherapie, Hamburg, Germany

    R. Richter

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  1. F. Friedl
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Correspondence to B. Böttcher.

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Friedl, F., Riedl, D., Fessler, S. et al. Impact of endometriosis on quality of life, anxiety, and depression: an Austrian perspective. Arch Gynecol Obstet 292, 1393–1399 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00404-015-3789-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00404-015-3789-8

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