EPA-0219 – Gynaecological Disease and Related Conditions in Women with Delusional Disorder: Prevalence and Clinical Correlates

Abstract

Introduction:

Some classical authors reported that 1/3 of psychotic women suffer from gynecological diseases. Thus, in recent years, special attention has been paid to the gynaecological health of women with chronic psychosis.

Objectives:

To study gynaecological conditions (oestrogen and non-oestrogen dependent disease) and to investigate clinical correlates in delusional disorder (DD).

Methods:

90 DD women of a sample of 115 DD patients were attended at our Department of Psychiatry, from 2000 until 2013. Outcome variables: presence/absence of inflammatory and non-inflammatory gynaecological disorders or related-conditions according to ICD-10 criteria. Sociodemographic and clinical data were secondary variables. For comparisons, T and Chi-square tests were performed. Multinomial logistic regression was applied to investigate multivariate differences.

Results:

Thirty-six(40%) women had a gynaecological disease (oestrogen dependent disorders: 92%). A tendency to lower rates of affective comorbidity and less antidepressant prescription was shown in women with a gynaecological disease, and had higher unemployment rates than those without gynaecological conditions (p=0.030). Within the gynaecological group, the most common illness was leiomyoma of uterus (n=9;25%), followed by misscarriage (n=6;17%). Histerectomy (n=7;19.4%) was the most common surgical treatment. Patients without gynaecological disorders had a later age at first psychiatric appointment and were more frequently admitted (p=0.001). After controlling for age at first appointment and admissions, differences in affective comorbidity remained significant (p=0.020), however, differences in antidepressant prescription and employment status were no longer significant.

Conclusions:

Women with DD might be at particularly risk of non-inflammatory oestrogen dependent gynaecological disorders and attended earlier at our outpatient clinic.