title: Association between hirsutism and mental health.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To ascertain the prevalence of psychiatric disturbances in a sample of hirsute women.
  
  
  METHODS
  This case-control study was carried out on 100 hirsute women referred to a dermatology clinic in Sari, Mazandaran, Iran from 2004 to 2005. One hundred non-hirsute healthy control subjects were case-matched for demographic variables and completed the symptom checklist revised (SCL-90-R) instrument. Data were analyzed using SPSS software (version 11).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Forty-three percent of the women reported psychological distress, with the most common subscales being interpersonal sensitivity, paranoid, depression, and obsessive compulsive. In the control group, 42% were suspicious for mental disorders. There was no significant difference between the 2 groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  No significant difference concerning mental health was reported between the hirsute and non-hirsute women. This maybe due to patients having adapted to their disorder due to the presence of high social stress conditions in Iran.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Booali Sina Hospital, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, PO Box 48166-33131, Sari, Iran. Tel. +98 (911) 1515137. Fax. +98 (151) 2264507. E-mail: drmjamshidi@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Zohreh
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Hajheydari
authors.forename: Mojgan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jamshidi
authors.forename: Abbas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Masoudzadeh