Background/aim: The purpose of this study was to assess the prevalence of anxiety and depression among patients with hirsutism and to evaluate the relationships of anxiety and depression with clinical parameters and androgen levels.
Materials and methods: One hundred and seven women with hirsutism were enrolled in the study. All participants completed standardized questionnaires to assess depression (Beck Depression Inventory (BDI)) and anxiety (Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI)). The Ferriman-Gallwey (FG) scores, body mass indexes (BMIs), homeostatic model assessments of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), and serum androgen levels of all patients were obtained.
Results: Seventy-four of the 107 patients (69.15%) had BDI scores indicating depression, and 47 of the 107 patients (43.9%) had BAI scores indicating anxiety disorders. No difference was found between high BAI and normal BAI patients related to BMI, age, FG scores, testosterone levels, and HOMA-IR levels (P > 0.05), and no difference was found between high BDI and normal BDI patients related to BMI, age, FG scores, free testosterone levels, and HOMA-IR levels. There was a positive correlation between BDI scores and dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate (DHEA-S) levels (P < 0.01).
Conclusion: We found considerable amounts of depression, anxiety, and the coexistence of depression and anxiety in patients with hirsutism. Depression and the severity of depressive symptoms were positively correlated with DHEA-S levels.
Keywords: Anxiety; depression; hirsutism.