The effect of psychic factors on the spontaneous cure of secondary amenorrhoea: A comparison of cases with and without spontaneous cure

• Published in: Journal of psychosomatic research 1977, Vol.21 (2), p.175-182
• Main Authors: Lodewegens, F.J., Van Rijn, I.Bos, Groenman, N.H., Lappöhn, R.E.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Amenorrhea; Female; Humans; Personality; Prospective Studies; Retrospective Studies
• ISSN: 0022-3999; 1879-1360
• DOI: 10.1016/0022-3999(77)90086-1

Thirty women with functional secondary amenorrhoea are studied by psychological testing. Secondary amenorrhoea is interpreted as a symptom with a relative autonomy: the authors distinguish between symptom-provoking and symptom-maintaining factors. Attention in this study was focused on possible symptom-maintaining factors of psychic origin. In the prospective study two personality inventories, the Amsterdamse Biografische Vragenlijst (ABV) and the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI), were used. Women with an active, direct, extraverted attitude have a better chance of spontaneous cure than patients who exhibit these qualities to a lesser extent. No relation was found between intensity of neurotic behavior and of neurotic psychical symptoms and spontaneous cure. In the retrospective study the S.R.E. was used. A certain degree of disturbance of the psychic balance, as measured by the SRE, appears a condition of spontaneous cure. In the discussion, reference is made to possible relations between the results of the prospective and retrospective study.