PSYCHOLOGICAL LONG-TERM EFFECTS OF STERILIZATION ON ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION

Two-thousand cases (500 women and 500 men with sterilization; 500 wome n and 500 men without sterilization) in two counties and two cities in Sichuan, China, were investigated between 15 September 1992 and 30 Ap ril 1993. Information was obtained about their age, parity, marriage, contraceptives, social behavior, and present psychological characteris tics, CES-D, SAS, and E.P.Q. scales were used to assess the depressive symptomatology, anxiety, and personality of the subjects. The results revealed that sterilization psychologically affected the depressive s ymptoms and anxiety under the neutral personality. In addition, depres sive symptoms and anxiety were related to the subjects' age, education al level, income, operative doctors' attitudes to sterilization accept ers, and subjects' understanding of the sterilization. (C) 1996 Elsevi er Science Inc.