Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Is Associated With Adverse Mental Health and Neurodevelopmental Outcomes
Open accessAbstract
Context: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is characterized by hyperandrogenism and subfertility, but the effects on mental health and child neurodevelopment are unclear. Objectives: To determine if (1) there is an association between PCOS and psychiatric outcomes and (2) whether rates of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are higher in children of mothers with PCOS. Design: Data were extracted from the Clinical Practice Research Datalink. Patients with PCOS were matched to two control sets (1:1) by age, body mass index, and primary care practice. Control set 2 was additionally matched on prior mental health status. Primary outcomes were the incidence of depression, anxiety, and bipolar disorder. Secondary outcomes were the prevalence of ADHD or ASD in the children. Results: Eligible patients (16,986) were identified; 16,938 and 16,355 were matched to control sets 1 and 2, respectively. Compared with control set 1, baseline prevalence was 23.1% vs 19.3% for depression, 11.5% vs 9.3% for anxiety, and 3.2% vs 1.5% for bipolar disorder (P < 0.001). The hazard ratio for time to each endpoint was 1.26 (95% confidence interval 1.19 to 1.32), 1.20 (1.11 to 1.29), and 1.21 (1.03 to 1.42) for set 1 and 1.38 (1.30 to 1.45), 1.39 (1.29 to 1.51), and 1.44 (1.21 to 1.71) for set 2. The odds ratios for ASD and ADHD in children were 1.54 (1.12 to 2.11) and 1.64 (1.16 to 2.33) for set 1 and 1.76 (1.27 to 2.46) and 1.34 (0.96 to 1.89) for set 2. Conclusions: PCOS is associated with psychiatric morbidity and increased risk of ADHD and ASD in their children. Screening for mental health disorders should be considered during assessment.
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The prevalence of eating disorders in this PCOS cohort is relatively high compared to other population studies that report a 0.3%-2.45% prevalence in those with PCOS.
“This prevalence of eating disorders is relatively high compared to that found in other population studies that report a 0.3%-2.45% prevalence in those with PCOS.31,126,129,130”
From Increased Prevalence of Adverse Health Outcomes Across the Lifespan in Those Affected by Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: A Canadian Population Cohort (2024) · cites this paper as [130]
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- Authors
- Berni, T. R., Morgan, C. L., Berni, E. R., & Rees, D. A.
- Affiliations
- Pharmatelligence, Cardiff Medicentre, Cardiff, United Kingdom
- Cardiff University (GB)
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Institute, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom
- Venue
- The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism
- Publisher
- The Endocrine Society
- Published
- 2018-04-10
- Volume
- 103
- Issue
- 6
- Pages
- 2116-2125
- ISSN
- 0021-972X (ISSN-L)
- 1945-7197
- OpenAlex
- W2807678485
- Cited by
- 111
- References
- 16
- Citations by year
- 2026: 9 · 2025: 10 · 2024: 14 · 2023: 14 · 2022: 12 · 2021: 18 · 2020: 17 · 2019: 15 · 2018: 2
- FWCI
- 13.94
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Locations
- The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- Cardiff University
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Reproductive Medicine › Ovarian function and disorders
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Maternal Mental Health During Pregnancy and Postpartum
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Sexual Differentiation and Disorders
- Keywords
- polycystic ovary syndrome, depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, autism spectrum disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, child neurodevelopment, maternal mental health, psychiatric morbidity, offspring risk, hyperandrogenism, mental health screening, Clinical Practice Research Datalink, primary care patients, incidence and prevalence, hazard ratio, odds ratio, matched cohort
- MeSH terms
- Autism Spectrum Disorder, Adult, Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity, Mental Disorders, Female, Humans, Male, Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, Retrospective Studies, Incidence, Prevalence, Child of Impaired Parents, Young Adult
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