Women with spontaneous 46,XX primary ovarian insufficiency (hypergonadotropic hypogonadism) have lower perceived social support than control women.
OBJECTIVE
To test the hypothesis that women with spontaneous primary ovarian insufficiency differ from control women with regard to perceived social support and to investigate the relationship between perceived social support and self-esteem.


METHODS
Cross-sectional.


METHODS
Mark O. Hatfield Clinical Research Center, National Institutes of Health.


METHODS
Women diagnosed with spontaneous primary ovarian insufficiency (n = 154) at a mean age of 27 years and healthy control women (n = 63).


METHODS
Administration of validated self-reporting instruments.


METHODS
Personal Resource Questionnaire 85 and Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale.


RESULTS
Women with primary ovarian insufficiency had significantly lower scores than controls on the perceived social support scale and the self-esteem scale. The findings remained significant after modeling with multivariate regression for differences in age, marital status, and having children. There was a significant positive correlation between self-esteem scores and perceived social support in patients. We found no significant differences in perceived social support or self-esteem related to marital status, whether or not the women had children, or time since diagnosis.


CONCLUSIONS
This evidence supports the need for prospective controlled studies. Strategies to improve social support and self-esteem might provide a therapeutic approach to reduce the emotional suffering that accompanies the life-altering diagnosis of spontaneous primary ovarian insufficiency.
Orshan
Susan A
SA
Integrated Reproductive Medicine Unit, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892-1103, USA.
Ventura
June L
JL
Covington
Sharon N
SN
Vanderhoof
Vien H
VH
Troendle
James F
JF
Nelson
Lawrence M
LM
D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D023961:Gonadal Dysgenesis, 46,XX / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D007006:Hypogonadism / Q000523:psychology*; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012016:Reference Values; D012649:Self Concept; D012944:Social Support; D055815:Young Adult