Body perception, self-esteem, and comorbid psychiatric disorders in adolescents diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome.

Aybüke Sari, Seda; Celik, Nurullah; Cİcek, Ayla Uzun

STUDY OBJECTIVE To investigate adolescents with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) in terms of body perception, self-esteem, and comorbid psychiatric diseases by comparing them with their healthy peers. DESIGN Cross-sectional design. SETTING The Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and the Department of Pediatric Endocrinology outpatient clinic of Cumhuriyet University in Sivas, Turkey. PARTICIPANTS Fifty female adolescents aged 12-18 years who were diagnosed as having PCOS and 37 healthy adolescents aged 12-18 years. INTERVENTIONS AND MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES All adolescents were evaluated by a child and adolescent psychiatrist using a semi-structured interview (Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia for School-Age Children) and asked to complete the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES), Children's Depression Inventory (CDI), and Body Image Scale (BIS). RESULTS The rate of psychiatric disorders in the PCOS group was significantly higher than in the controls (32% vs. 13.5%, respectively, p=0.046). The most common disorder was major depressive disorder. The RSES and BIS scores of the PCOS group were lower (p=0.03; p<0.001, respectively), and CDI scores were higher (p=0.03) than in the control group. There was no significant relationship between obesity, hirsutism, and insulin resistance with any psychiatric disorders in the PCOS group. CONCLUSION Adolescents with PCOS had more psychopathology than their peers. Moreover, their self-esteem was lower and their body perceptions were more dissatisfied compared with their peers.