Psychological correlates of functional hypothalamic amenorrhea.
OBJECTIVE
To determine whether mood, attitudes, or symptoms of disordered eating discriminated women with functional hypothalamic amenorrhea (FHA) from those with organic causes of amenorrhea and eumenorrhea.


METHODS
Cross-sectional comparison of women with FHA, women with organic amenorrhea, and eumenorrheic control women.


METHODS
Clinical research center in an academic medical institution.


METHODS
Seventy-seven women > or =18 years old with time since menarche > or =5 and < or =25 years were recruited by advertisement.


METHODS
Ovulation was confirmed in eumenorrheic control women. Causes of anovulation were carefully documented in amenorrheic participants and LH pulse profiles were obtained to document the diagnosis of FHA. All participants were interviewed and completed questionnaires.


METHODS
Self-report measures of dysfunctional attitudes, coping styles, and symptoms of depression and eating disorders.


RESULTS
Women with FHA reported more depressive symptoms and dysfunctional attitudes than did eumenorrheic women, but not significantly more than women with organic amenorrhea. However, women with FHA reported significantly more symptoms of disordered eating than did either anovulatory or ovulatory women.


CONCLUSIONS
The findings are consistent with the hypothesis that FHA is precipitated by a combination of psychosocial stressors and metabolic challenge.
Marcus
M D
MD
Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. marcusmd@msx.upmc.edu
Loucks
T L
TL
Berga
S L
SL
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D000339:Affect; D000568:Amenorrhea / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology*; D001290:Attitude; D015992:Body Mass Index; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003863:Depression / Q000209:etiology; D001068:Feeding and Eating Disorders / Q000150:complications; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007027:Hypothalamic Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology*; D010060:Ovulation