LIFE EVENTS IMPACT IN PATIENTS WITH SECONDARY AMENORRHEA

To evaluate the relationship between stressful life events and the ons et of secondary amenorrhoea Paykel's semi-structured interview for Rec ent Life Events was administered to patients affected by secondary ame norrhea and also to healthy volunteers. The number, quality, and objec tive negative impact of life events were compared among different horm onal subtypes of secondary amenorrhoea and healthy normally menstruati ng women, as a control group. The number of life events in amenorrhoei c patients (N = 131) was significantly greater than those observed in the control group (N = 64) (45.9 vs 32.8%). Moreover, where only hypot halamic hypogonadotrophic amenorrhoea was considered, the occurrence o f life events was significantly higher (59.8%) than in hyperandrogenic (26.6%) or in normogonadotrophic (20.4%) patients. The most prevalent events among hypothalamic hypogonadotrophic amenorrhoeic patients wer e those classified as 'undesirable', 'uncontrolled' and with 'Objectiv e Negative Impact'. The present study supports the hypothesis of a cau se-effect relationship between stressful personal life events and the onset of secondary amenorrhoea of hypogonadotrophic subtype.