Multidisciplinary approach in endometriosis patient management

Bridging the Gap: A Systematic Review of Mental Health Integration

Key Points

Highlights:

• Mental health can be significantly affected by reproductive hormone transitions and gynecological conditions such as endometriosis and PCOS. that are associated with increased risk of psychological and psychiatric disturbances.

Importance:

• Women with gynecological illnesses may require integrated mental healthcare due to compromised quality of life and mental wellbeing, however the collaboration remains underdeveloped.

What’s done here?

• This systematic review synthesizes the evidence on integrating mental healthcare for women experiencing gynecological disorders or reproductive hormone transitions.
• The review will include both quantitative and qualitative studies to provide a comprehensive perspective on clinical needs and interdisciplinary care models.
• It will focus on conditions such as premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), mood disturbances, and other hormone-linked mental health challenges.
• Experiences and training of healthcare professionals involved in interdisciplinary care will also be explored.
• Two independent reviewers will conduct study selection and data extraction, enhancing the methodological rigor of the review.
• A wide range of study types, including grey literature and expert opinion, will be included to ensure breadth of coverage.

Strengths and Limitations:

• This is the first systematic review to specifically address the integration of mental healthcare in non-perinatal reproductive health.
• The review tackles a historically overlooked intersection in women’s health, with potential to inform future clinical practice and policy.
• Limiting inclusion to English-language publications may affect generalizability.

Lay Summary

Women with endometriosis suffer from pelvic pain such in terms of dysmenorrhea, dyspareunia or infertility, all of which significantly negatively impact quality of life, and increase the risk of mental health disorders.

Hartnett et al., a research team from Ireland, have published a systematic review protocol titled “Cross-disciplinary working between gynaecologists and mental healthcare professionals: a mixed-methods systematic review” in the BMJ Open. The review aims to explore the clinical need for integrated mental healthcare in the context of gynecological conditions and reproductive hormone transitions outside the perinatal period. It seeks to highlight service delivery gaps and their impact on patients, while informing future service design and policy.

The review will include a broad range of study types—quantitative, qualitative, and grey literature—to enable a comprehensive synthesis. Two independent reviewers will carry out study selection, appraisal, and data extraction to ensure methodological rigor. As this review does not involve primary data collection, ethical approval is not required.

The findings will be disseminated through peer-reviewed publications, conference presentations, and social media to engage a wide audience, including clinicians and policymakers. The authors describe this as “the first systematic review examining integrated mental healthcare in gynecology settings and non-pregnancy-related reproductive transitions.”

Research Source: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39414291/