Psychological effects of amenorrhea , due to hyperprolactinemia, for women aged between 18 to 45 years old, who suffer from psychotic disorder and receive typical or atypical antipsychotic medications

Introduction: Hyperprolactinemia comprises one of the most frequent consequences of antipsychotic medication and it can have many adverse clinical effects, like amenorrhea, that occurs to women of reproductive age, after being treated with typical and also many of the atypical antipsychotics. Objective: This study aims to investigate the psychological effects and the attitude towards menstruation of psychotic women who suffer from antipsychotic medication induced hyperprolactinaemia that leads to amenorrhea, related to hyperprolactinemic women who have not reported amenorrhea. Materials and Methods: Two hundred and sixty three (263) females, diagnosed with a psychotic disorder (DSM-IV-TR), 18-45 years old, were examined. The patients were under treatment with either risperidone or haloperidol or olanzapine or quetiapine. Blood- sampling was conducted, in order to measure the levels of prolactin in serum. The quantitative determination was made by Chemiluminescence Immuno Assay (CLIA). Then, two self- report psychometric instruments were distributed, the Symptom- Checklist – 90- R (SCL-90-R) questionnaire and the Menstrual Attitude Questionnaire (MAQ). All data were analyzed and the scales and subscales of the questionnaires were compared using the MANOVA model ( Multivariate Analysis of Variance).Results: 139 out of 263 women were found with hyperprolactinemia. Strong statistical signifi-cance arouse between hyperprolactinaemia and the four antipsychotic agents (prisperidone>olanzapine>quetiapine, p ρισπεριδόνη> ολανζαπίνη >κουετιαπίνη, p<0,0005).Oι γυναίκες που εμφάνισαν αμηνόρροια ασχολούνται περισσότερο με σωματικά ενοχλήματα, εμφανίζουν ψυχαναγκαστικά καταναγκαστικά συμπτώματα, καταθλιπτικές-αγχώδεις διαταραχές, αισθήματα θυμού, εκδηλώσεις επιθετικότητας, φοβίες, παρανοειδή τρόπο σκέψης και λιγότερο αιτιάσεις προσωπικής ανεπάρκειας σε σύγκριση με μη αμηνορροϊκές ασθενείς (p