title: Premature menopause: a comprehensive understanding of psychosocial aspects.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare experience of premature menopause (PM), information sources, treatments, depression, anxiety, body image, sexual function and self-efficacy, between women with premature ovarian failure (POF), surgically induced menopause (SIPM), chemically induced menopause (CIPM), and controls.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional observational pilot study using validated and devised questionnaires in 77 Australian women (POF, n = 25; SIPM, n = 17; CIPM, n = 12; controls, n = 23).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The average age of all women was 34.8 years (standard deviation (SD) ± 5.7 years), and time since PM diagnosis was 3.8 years (SD ± 4.4 years, p = 0.19). The gynecologist (69%) and internet (67%) were the best expected sources of information. Women with PM feared osteoporosis more than controls (p < 0.0001). Women with SIPM (p = 0.006) and POF (p = 0.01) had higher rates of depression compared to controls. SIPM women were more anxious than women with POF (p = 0.04) and both SIPM (p = 0.002) and CIPM (p = 0.02) women were more anxious than controls. Women with POF had higher health evaluation (p = 0.03), fitness evaluation (p = 0.01) and fitness orientation (p = 0.01) than women with SIPM. Controls had higher health evaluation than women with SIPM (p = 0.001) and CIPM (p = 0.04), higher fitness evaluation than women with SIPM (p = 0.02) and CIPM (p = 0.04), and higher fitness orientation than SIPM women (p < 0.0001). Sexual dysfunction (p < 0.0001) and dyspareunia (p = 0.001) were higher in CIPM women than controls. Controls were more sexually responsive than POF women (p = 0.008). SIPM (p = 0.008) and POF (p = 0.04) women reported decreased confidence to manage disease.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Depression, anxiety, body image, sexual dysfunction and self-confidence are compromised for women across different groups of premature menopause. Understanding these differences is important to the development of individual management plans based on the needs of women.
authors.affiliation: Jean Hailes Clinical Research Unit, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: A A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Deeks
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gibson-Helm
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Teede
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vincent
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001007:Anxiety / Q000453:epidemiology; D001828:Body Image; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008594:Menopause, Premature / Q000523:psychology*; D015663:Osteoporosis, Postmenopausal / Q000523:psychology; D010809:Physical Fitness; D016649:Primary Ovarian Insufficiency / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology; D012649:Self Concept; D012735:Sexual Dysfunction, Physiological / Q000453:epidemiology; D020018:Sexual Dysfunctions, Psychological / Q000453:epidemiology