Psychological interventions for endometriosis-related symptoms: a systematic review with narrative data synthesis

Endometriosis impacts the physical, psychological and quality of life domains of women. Despite the medical and/or surgical management of endometriosis, the presence of persistent pelvic pain and psychological distress often continues, suggesting a role for psychological interventions in treatment planning. The present study aimed to conduct the first systematic review, with narrative data synthesis, on psychological interventions for endometriosis-related symptoms. The study also aimed to determine the effectiveness of current interventions in resolving psychological and pain-related loss of function associated with endometriosis and to identify gaps in the literature requiring further research. A total of 15,816 studies were retrieved through database searching and handsearching, with two researchers identifying 11 full-text studies that met inclusion criteria. Three studies of ‘moderate’ quality were identified, although the overall quality of studies was found to be ‘weak’, with a ‘high’ risk of bias. The findings regarding the effectiveness of psychological interventions for endometriosis-related symptoms remain inconclusive. Further research into psychological interventions for women with endometriosis that employ evidence-based protocols with high intervention integrity is recommended. Similar content being viewed by others

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Eur J Obstet Gynaecol Reprod Biol 162(2):211–215 Author information Authors and Affiliations Corresponding author Additional information Publisher’s note Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. Rights and permissions About this article Cite this article Van Niekerk, L., Weaver-Pirie, B. & Matthewson, M. Psychological interventions for endometriosis-related symptoms: a systematic review with narrative data synthesis. Arch Womens Ment Health 22, 723–735 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00737-019-00972-6 Received: Accepted: Published: Version of record: Issue date: DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00737-019-00972-6