Women with PCOS Are Almost 8.5 Times More Likely to Attempt Suicide

A study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine analyzing the risk of suicide in people with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) revealed that these individuals are 8.47 times more likely to attempt suicide compared to similar individuals without PCOS.

PCOS is a reproductive health disorder characterized by a hormonal imbalance that may cause infertility, obesity, and excessive facial hair in people with female reproductive anatomy. According to the Endocrine Society, there may also be a link between severe mental health issues, including anxiety, depression, and eating disorders.

Researchers from Taipei Veterans General Hospital in Taiwan led the study evaluating suicide risk and PCOS, using data from 18,960 individuals with PCOS and comparing it with ten times as many control patients. While considering the data, the investigators accounted for multiple factors that may impact suicide risk, including age, psychiatric comorbid conditions, urbanization levels, income, Charlson Comorbidity Index scores, and frequency of all-cause clinical visits.

Using a Cox regression model, the researchers evaluated suicide risk using hazard ratios.

This analysis revealed that individuals with PCOS are 8.47 times more likely to attempt suicide compared to the control group. Stratifying risk by age group, the researchers noted the highest discrepancy in young adults, which included those ages 18–40. In this patient population, individuals with PCOS were 9.15 times more likely to attempt suicide than their non-PCOS counterparts.

Comparatively, in adolescents, those with PCOS were 5.38 times more likely to attempt suicide. Additionally, for patients over 40 with PCOS, the risk was 3.75 times greater than in non-PCOS older adults.

“This study underscores the heightened risk for suicide attempt that persons with PCOS face, even after adjustment for demographics, psychiatric comorbid conditions, physical conditions, and all-cause clinical visits. This suggests the importance of routine monitoring of mental health and suicide risk in persons diagnosed with PCOS,” concluded researchers in the publication.

Despite the conclusions included in this paper, additional research on reproductive health and psychiatry needs to be conducted to validate the findings, as the researchers believe that PCOS and mental disorder prevalence may be underestimated.