Endometriosis as a part of life: A survey of available psychological treatments and their benefits on function and quality of life

Endometriosis is a chronic gynecological illness affecting 10% of all women in childbearing age, 200 000 of them in Sweden, causing abdominal inflammation and adhesion formation, all of which inflicts pain. It affects every aspect of a woman’s life, not the least psychologically, leading to anxiety, depression and decreased function and decreased quality of life. This online survey explored what psychological treatments Swedish women with endometriosis had been offered and tried, and their effect on pain, acceptance, function and quality of life. Totally, 460 women completed the survey, 85% diagnosed with endometriosis, the remainder with chronic endometrial symptoms. Overall, participating women reported high levels of pain, anxiety and depression, with significant interference in functioning and quality of life due to endometrial symptoms. Half of the participants had at some point been referred to some form of systematic, evidence-based psychological treatment. Women receiving psychological treatment tended to report similar or slightly more negative impact of the chronic pain on their functioning, compared with women who had not received any psychological treatment. Furthermore, the positive effects of psychological treatment seemed to subside with time. In line with other research, participants who reported lower levels of pain-related acceptance had higher levels of pain-related impairment and poorer quality of life.