Menstrual cycle changes and mental health states of women hospitalized due to COVID-19

• Published in: PloS one 2022-06, Vol.17 (6), p.e0270658-e0270658
• Main Authors: Muharam, R, Agiananda, Feranindhya, Budiman, Yuri Fitri, Harahap, Juliana Sari, Prabowo, Kevin Ardito, Azyati, Mazaya, Putri, Yuannita Ika, Pratama, Gita, Sumapraja, Kanadi
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Amenorrhea; Anxiety; Biology and Life Sciences; Care and treatment; Complications and side effects; Coronaviruses; COVID-19; COVID-19 - epidemiology; COVID-19 vaccines; Disease transmission; Disorders; Evaluation; Female; Health aspects; Hormones; Hospitalization; Humans; Infections; Medical screening; Medicine and Health Sciences; Menstrual cycle; Menstrual Cycle - psychology; Menstruation; Menstruation Disturbances - epidemiology; Mental disorders; Mental Health; Ovaries; Pandemics; Patients; Post traumatic stress disorder; Posttraumatic stress disorder; Psychological aspects; Questionnaires; Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2; Signs and symptoms; Surveys; Women; Womens health
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0270658

Many studies have evaluated the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on women's mental health and menstrual changes. However, most of these studies only included nonhospitalized COVID-19 patients, while information on hospitalized women is very limited. Thus, this study aimed to examine the mental health status and menstrual changes in hospitalized female COVID-19 patients. A survey was administered to female COVID-19 patients in the isolation ward of a national referral hospital in Indonesia between January and August 2021, and the women were followed up 3 months after discharge. The survey evaluated menstrual patterns and mental health using the Self Reporting Questionnaire-29 (SRQ-29). The study enrolled 158 female patients. There was an increase in patients who had a cycle length of > 32 or < 24 days, and significant increases in menstrual irregularity and heavy menstrual bleeding were noted. Overall, 37.3% of the patients reported a change in menstrual pattern after infection with COVID-19. Based on SRQ-29 scores, 32.3% of the women had neurotic symptoms, 12.7% had psychotic symptoms, and 38.0% had symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder. Patients with symptoms of mental health disorders were twice as likely to report a menstrual change (OR 2.17, 95% CI 1.12-4.22; p = 0.021). Menstrual changes and increased symptoms of mental health disorders occur in hospitalized female COVID-19 patients. The length of isolation was the key factor affecting overall menstrual changes and mental health in hospitalized female COVID-19 patients.