Polycystic Ovary Syndrome in adolescents: a qualitative study

BACKGROUND: Adolescents with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) use different coping strategies to confront the challenges of this disorder. Various studies extracted coping strategies amongst adult women with PCOS, but regarding the mental difference between adults and adolescents, specific study was conducted to gain a deep understanding of how adolescents cope to the many health issues they experience. METHODS: Fifteen adolescents aged 13–19 years with PCOS participated in comprehensive individual interviews with goal-oriented, semi-structured questions. Sampling was purposive and continued until data saturation was reached. Data were analyzed using the thematic analysis technique. The validity of the data was verified through measures including credibility, transferability, dependability, confirmability and authenticity. RESULTS: The analysis of the data helped extract the main theme of the research as “dealing with PCOS”. The main theme consisted of three themes and 12 sub-theme: (1) Escaping the problem (sub-themes: Adopting a forgetting mindset, and concealment and minimization of the disorder); (2) Depressive mood (sub-themes: Poor self-perception and low self-esteem, isolation, sleep disturbances, passive aggressive behavior, emotional turmoil, feelings of humiliation, and adolescents’ perceptions); and (3) Coping with the disease (sub-themes: Recovery of health, positive thinking, hope for recovery). CONCLUSION: In this study, the adolescents with PCOS showed a coping response to their disorder in the form of problem-solving, developing a depressive mood or adjusting to the disorder. Recognizing the mental health needs of these adolescents and improving their quality of life require the identification of ways through which they deal with PCOS.