Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-q99xh Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-22T16:23:14.406Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Psychological Aspects of Hysterectomy

A Prospective Study

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2018

Margaret M. Ryan ,
Lorraine Dennerstein  and
Roger Pepperell
Margaret M. Ryan*
Affiliation:
Royal Australian College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists
Lorraine Dennerstein
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry
Roger Pepperell
Affiliation:
Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Melbourne
*
∗254 Albert Street, East Melbourne, Victoria, Australia 3002
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Sixty women aged between 30 and 55 years, having hysterectomy for benign conditions, were prospectively studied to investigate psychological adjustment to operation, and to explore social, psychological and physical factors associated with psychological outcome. A further 30 women were included for prospective research on psychological outcome. Investigations took place within two weeks of operation and after four months and 14 months. The findings indicated a high prevalence of pre-operative psychological morbidity (55%), which reduced to 31.7% afterwards. There was no evidence that hysterectomy led to a greater psychological distress. The principal risk factors of poor psychological outcome were the previous scores on the mental health measures and personality inventory. Involvement in the research process did not appear to affect psychological outcome.

Type
Papers
Information
The British Journal of Psychiatry , Volume 154 , Issue 4 , April 1989 , pp. 516 - 522
Copyright
Copyright © Royal College of Psychiatrists, 1989 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

American Psychiatric Association (1980) Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (3rd edn) (DSM–III). Washington, DC: APA.Google Scholar
Ballinger, C. B. (1975) Psychiatric morbidity and the menopause: screening of general population sample. British Medical Journal, iii, 344–346.Google Scholar
Ballinger, C. B. (1977) Psychiatric morbidity and the menopause: survey of a gynaecological outpatient clinic. British Journal of Psychiatry, 131, 83–89.Google Scholar
Barker, M. G. (1968) Psychiatric illness after hysterectomy. British Medical Journal, ii 91–95.Google Scholar
Bebbington, P., Hurry, J., Tennant, C., et al (1981) Epidemiology of mental disorders in Camberwell. Psychological Medicine, 11, 561–579.Google Scholar
Bem, S. L. (1974) The measurement of psychological androgyny. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 42, 155–162.Google Scholar
Bem, S. L. (1975) Sex-role adaptability: one consequence of psychological androgyny. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 31, 634–643.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Byrne, P. (1984) Psychiatric morbidity in a gynaecology clinic: an epidemiological surgery. British Journal of Psychiatry, 144, 28–34.Google Scholar
Drellich, M. G. & Bieber, K. (1958) The psychological importance of the uterus and its functions. Journal of Nervous Disorders, 126, 322–366.Google Scholar
Eysenck, H. J. & Eysenck, S. B. (1964) Manual of the Eysenck Personality Inventory. London: London University Press.Google Scholar
Feighner, J. P., Robins, E., Guze, S. B., et al (1972) Diagnostic criteria for use in psychiatric research. Archives of General Psychiatry, 26, 57–63.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Fraser, I. (1981) Perception of menstrual cycle symptomatology. In Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Psychiatry (eds Dennerstein, L. & Burrows, G.). Melbourne: York Press.Google Scholar
Gath, D., Cooper, P. & Day, A. (1982a) Hysterectomy and psychiatric disorder: I. Levels of psychiatric morbidity before and after hysterectomy. British Journal of Psychiatry, 140, 335–342.Google Scholar
Gath, D., Cooper, P., Bond, A., et al (1982b) Hysterectomy and psychiatric disorder: II. Demographic psychiatric and physical factors in relation to psychiatric outcome. British Journal of Psychiatry, 140, 342–350.Google Scholar
Henderson, S., Byrne, A. G. & Duncan-Jones, P. (1981) Neurosis and the Social Environment. Sydney: Academic Press.Google Scholar
Kincey, J. & McFarlane, T. (1984) Psychological aspects of hysterectomy. In Psychology and Gynaecology Problems (eds Broome, A. & Wallace, L.). London: Tavistock.Google Scholar
McNair, D. M., Lorr, M. & Droopleman, L. F. (1971) Profile of Mood States. San Diego: Educational and Industrial Testing Service.Google Scholar
Martin, R. L., Roberts, W. V., Clayton, P. J., et al (1977) Psychiatric illness and non-cancer hysterectomy. Disease of Nervous System, 38, 974–980.Google Scholar
Martin, R. L., Roberts, W. V., & Clayton, P. J.,(1980) Psychiatric status after hysterectomy. Journal of the American Medical Association, 244, 350–353.Google Scholar
Munday, R. N. & Cox, L. W. (1967) Hysterectomy for benign lesions. Medical Journal of Australia, 2, 759–763.Google Scholar
Richards, D. H. (1973) Depression after hysterectomy. Lancet, ii 430–432.Google Scholar
Richards, D. H. (1974) A post-hysterectomy syndrome. Lancet, ii 983–985.Google Scholar
Roseske, N. C. (1978) Hysterectomy and other gynaecological surgeries: a psychological view. In The Woman's Place in Medical and Psychological Interfaces, Vol. 1 (eds Notman, M. T. & Nadelson, C. C.). New York: Plenum Press.Google Scholar
Selwood, T. & Wood, C. (1978) Incidence of hysterectomy in Australia. Medical Journal of Australia, 2, 201.Google Scholar
Tennant, C. & Andrews, G. (1976) A scale to measure the stress of life events. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 10, 27–32.Google Scholar
Wing, J. K., Cooper, E. & Sartorious, N. (1974) The Measurement and Classification of Psychiatric Symptoms. London: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Submit a response

eLetters

No eLetters have been published for this article.