Depression in women with spontaneous 46, XX primary ovarian insufficiency

A high prevalence of depressive symptoms is observed in women with primary ovarian insufficiency (POI) compared with women in whom the menopause is normally timed. Indeed, studies suggest that depression and/or its pharmacological treatment contribute to the onset of POI.

We characterize the prevalence of psychiatric disorders and the timing of onset of clinically significant depression relative to both the diagnosis of POI and the onset of menstrual irregularity in women with POI.

We conducted a cross-sectional clinic-based study at the National Institutes of Health Clinical Research Center.

A total of 174 women with spontaneous 46, XX POI and 100 women with Turner syndrome participated in the study.

The structured clinical interview for DSM-IV was performed.

Lifetime histories of depression in POI exceeded rates of depression reported in women with Turner syndrome and community-based samples of women (P < 0.001). The onset of depression frequently preceded the diagnosis of POI but occurred after the onset of menstrual irregularity. Analyses standardizing the periods of risk for depression showed that similar numbers of depressions occurred before and after these events.

POI is associated with an increased lifetime risk for major depression. Attention to the presence of depression in POI should become an important part of the care for these women. The onset of depression frequently occurs after signs of altered ovarian function but before the diagnosis of POI. Thus, in some women the association between POI and depression suggests an overlapping pathophysiology rather than a causal relationship.