BACKGROUND: The aim of the study was to investigate the levels of perceived stress in a group of women with a long-term history of endometriosis in conjunction with surgical and/or medical treatments. METHODS: A clinical trial was conducted at the Department of Molecular and Developmental Medicine, University of Siena, in collaboration with a non-profit association of women with endometriosis, A.P.E. Onlus. Patients (n = 204) with a previous diagnosis of endometriosis (for at least 3 years) were included in this study. Each patient completed a semi-structured questionnaire and a validated scale to assess perceived stress, the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) by e-mail. RESULTS: The study showed that in women with a long-term history of endometriosis, the level of perceived stress was increased by repeated surgical treatments and reduced by some medical treatments. The median PSS value was 23 (range 9-36) and 30.6% of the study population were included in the highest stress category (>26). The highest levels were found in patients who had undergone the most surgery. The use of progestins was associated with a lower perceived stress (p = 0.004) than in the patients treated with gonadotropin-releasing hormones. CONCLUSIONS: Long-term endometriosis has a relevant impact on perceived stress, in particular in those undergoing repeated surgery.
BACKGROUND: The aim of the study was to investigate the levels of perceived stress in a group of women with a long-term history of endometriosis in conjunction with surgical and/or medical treatments. METHODS: A clinical trial was conducted at the Department of Molecular and Developmental Medicine, University of Siena, in collaboration with a non-profit association of women with endometriosis, A.P.E. Onlus. Patients (n = 204) with a previous diagnosis of endometriosis (for at least 3 years) were included in this study. Each patient completed a semi-structured questionnaire and a validated scale to assess perceived stress, the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) by e-mail. RESULTS: The study showed that in women with a long-term history of endometriosis, the level of perceived stress was increased by repeated surgical treatments and reduced by some medical treatments. The median PSS value was 23 (range 9-36) and 30.6% of the study population were included in the highest stress category (>26). The highest levels were found in patients who had undergone the most surgery. The use of progestins was associated with a lower perceived stress (p = 0.004) than in the patients treated with gonadotropin-releasing hormones. CONCLUSIONS: Long-term endometriosis has a relevant impact on perceived stress, in particular in those undergoing repeated surgery.
Authors: Stacey A Missmer; Frank F Tu; Sanjay K Agarwal; Charles Chapron; Ahmed M Soliman; Stephanie Chiuve; Samantha Eichner; Idhaliz Flores-Caldera; Andrew W Horne; Alexandra B Kimball; Marc R Laufer; Nicholas Leyland; Sukhbir S Singh; Hugh S Taylor; Sawsan As-Sanie Journal: Int J Gen Med Date: 2021-01-07
Authors: Stacey A Missmer; Frank Tu; Ahmed M Soliman; Stephanie Chiuve; Sarah Cross; Samantha Eichner; Oscar Antunez Flores; Andrew Horne; Beth Schneider; Sawsan As-Sanie Journal: BMJ Open Date: 2022-04-27 Impact factor: 3.006