title: Are mood and anxiety disorders and alexithymia associated with endometriosis? A preliminary study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this preliminary study was to determine whether psychiatric disorders, psychopathological symptoms, and alexithymia are associated with endometriosis in an Italian population.
  
  
  METHODS
  A preliminary study comprising 37 Italian patients with surgically confirmed endometriosis and 43 controls, without clinical and ultrasound signs of endometriosis, was carried out. Both patients and controls were evaluated for the presence/absence of psychiatric disorders, psychopathological symptoms, alexithymia, and pain symptoms (nonmenstrual pelvic pain, dysmenorrhea, and dyspareunia).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Statistically significant differences were found between cases and controls for prevalence of mood and anxiety disorders, malfunctioning on obsessive-compulsive subscale (P < 0.01) and depression subscale (P < 0.05) of the Symptom Checklist-90-Revisited (SCL-90-R), and higher alexithymia levels (P < 0.01). Patients with endometriosis-associated pain showed greater prevalence of psychiatric disorders compared to pain-free patients but that difference was not significant. Significant correlation was found between malfunctioning in some SCL-90-R dimensions and pelvic pain, dysmenorrhea, and dyspareunia scores at the visual analog score (VAS).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Some psychopathological aspects, such as psychoemotional distress and alexithymia, are more frequent in women with endometriosis and might amplify pain symptoms in these patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology and Psychiatry, U.O.D. Psychotherapy, Sapienza University of Rome, Via Casal dei Pazzi 16, 00156 Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Gabriele
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cavaggioni
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology and Psychiatry, U.O.D. Psychotherapy, Sapienza University of Rome, Via Casal dei Pazzi 16, 00156 Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lia
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynecology, Obstetrics and Urology, Sapienza University of Rome, Policlinico Umberto I, Viale del Policlinico 155, 00161 Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Serena
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Resta
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynecology, Obstetrics and Urology, Sapienza University of Rome, Policlinico Umberto I, Viale del Policlinico 155, 00161 Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Tatiana
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Antonielli
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynecology, Obstetrics and Urology, Sapienza University of Rome, Policlinico Umberto I, Viale del Policlinico 155, 00161 Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Pierluigi
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Benedetti Panici
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Policlinico Umberto I, Viale Regina Elena 326, 00161 Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Megiorni
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynecology, Obstetrics and Urology, Sapienza University of Rome, Policlinico Umberto I, Viale del Policlinico 155, 00161 Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Maria Grazia
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Porpora
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000342:Affective Symptoms / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology*; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology*; D004715:Endometriosis / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D010535:Laparoscopy; D008875:Middle Aged; D019964:Mood Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology*; D017699:Pelvic Pain / Q000473:pathology