Depressive symptoms among women with vulvar dysesthesia.

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study was to determine whether vulvar dysesthesia is associated with elevated depressive symptoms.

STUDY DESIGN

This was a cross-sectional case-control study of women who underwent treatment of vulvar dysesthesia (n=32) or who were seen for a routine gynecologic examination (n=32). Subjects completed measures of depressive symptoms and pain and a sexual and medical history. Multivariate and univariate analyses were conducted.

RESULTS

Analyses that were adjusted for age, education, and medical conditions indicated that vulvar dysesthesia was associated positively with depressive symptoms (P=.002). However, this was attributable to the somatic (P=.002) rather than cognitive-affective symptoms (P=.16) of depression, partially related to the endorsement of sexual disinterest, and mediated by pain reports.

CONCLUSION

Vulvar dysesthesia is associated with elevated depressive symptom severity, although not to the extent that indicates probable depressive disorder. In this condition, depressive symptoms are likely to be a measurement artifact, rather than a depressive process. Certain depressive symptoms (eg, sexual disinterest) directly inflate depression estimates in this patient group.