Metabolic & Cardiometabolic
PCOS increases mood disorder
Part of: • PCOS
📅 Last reviewed: 2026-07-15 ⓘ
Evidence ladder
How far up the ladder this claim has climbed. A high consensus on a low rung means "consistent so far," not "proven in people."
Top evidence so far: All trials, pooled (Meta-analysis)
How the studies fall
What the evidence shows
PCOS markedly increases depression (~37%) and anxiety (~48%) prevalence.
The evidence (9)
| Source | Grade | Stance | Quality | Finding |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Humeniuk 2025 · Ann Agric Environ Med | meta-analysis | supports | moderate | MA 19 studies/4002 patients: anxiety ~2x more likely in PCOS (RR 1.91) |
| Senturk S et al 2025 · study_type: observational | observational | supports | low | BAI (anxiety) p=0.006 and BDI (depression) p=0.007 both significantly higher in PCOS vs controls; moderate/severe anxiety more frequent in PCOS (p=0.030) |
| Infante-Cano M, Garcia-Munoz C, Matias-Soto J, et al. 2025 · Arch Womens Ment Health | meta-analysis | supports | moderate | Overview of 10 systematic reviews (AMSTAR-2 appraised, overlap quantified): pooled depression prevalence 34.8%; anxiety disorders 16.9%, panic 4%, social phobia 5%. CAVEAT: prevalence-based synthesis and highly instrument-dependent (anxiety 69.4% by Hamilton vs 32.4% by SAS; depression 46.0% by BDI) - documents burden; comparative excess-risk vs non-PCOS controls is not extractable from the abstract. |
| Fornaro M, et al. 2026 · Eur Neuropsychopharmacol | meta-analysis | supports | high | Pooled depression 37% (29–44), anxiety 48% (37–59) in PCOS; strong-credibility grading. |
| Talukder A et al 2025 · study_type: observational | observational | supports | low | PCOS-positive women had significantly greater prevalence of depression/anxiety/stress/insomnia (DASS-21+ISI-7) vs PCOS-negative women (chi-square + logistic regression) |
| alswh-mood-2019 2019 | observational | supports | moderate | ALSWH cohort (n=5239): antenatal depression 8.9% vs 4.4%; higher perinatal depression/anxiety in PCOS. |
| Stanczyk 2026 · J Clin Med | meta-analysis | supports | moderate | MA: depressive-symptom prevalence 42% in PCOS vs 14% controls |
| Atinga A, Bashiru HA, Solomon AO, et al. 2025 · Front Glob Womens Health | meta-analysis | supports | moderate | PRISMA/PROSPERO-registered SR+MA (CRD420251069068) of depression/anxiety prevalence in PCOS across low- and middle-income countries, 2005-2025; random-effects pooling with subgroup and meta-regression by design, age, BMI, country and instrument. CAVEAT: prevalence-based, so it establishes burden rather than excess risk versus non-PCOS comparators. Broadens geography beyond the high-income evidence base. |
| Vela AM et al 2026 · study_type: observational | observational | supports | cross-sectional community cohort, n=1574 (881 PCOS), self-reported PCOS status | Independent of BMI: PCOS group had greater depression, anxiety, insomnia, worse QoL vs non-PCOS; most PCOS x BMI interactions nonsignificant |
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