PCOS tied to increased suicide attempts

Individuals with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) appear to be at greater risk for suicide attempts, suggests a study, which notes the importance of routine monitoring of mental health and suicide risk in individuals diagnosed with PCOS.

Data for this cohort study were obtained from the Taiwanese nationwide database from 1997 to 2012. A total of 18,960 patients diagnosed with PCOS were matched with control participants in a 1:10 ratio based on age, income, urbanization level, and psychiatric comorbid conditions. Cox regression models were used to assess suicide attempts.

Patients with PCOS were found to have a significantly higher risk for suicide attempt than those in the control group (hazard ratio [HR], 8.47, 95 percent confidence interval [CI], 7.54‒9.51), after adjusting for demographic characteristics, psychiatric comorbid conditions, Charlson Comorbidity Index scores, and frequency of all-cause clinical visits.

This heightened risk was observed among adolescents (HR, 5.38, 95 percent CI, 3.93‒7.37), young adults (<40 years; HR, 9.15, 95 percent CI, 8.03‒10.42), and older adults (HR, 3.75, 95 percent CI, 2.23‒6.28). Similar results were seen in sensitivity analyses involving the exclusion of data from the first year or the first 3 years of observation.

The study was limited by the “potential underestimation of PCOS and mental disorder prevalence due to use of administrative claims data; lack of clinical data, such as body mass index and depressive symptoms; and no assessment of a confounding effect of valproic acid exposure.”