Nearly half of Australian women with endometriosis or polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome (PMOS) report experiencing depression, according to new national research calling for mental health support to become a routine part of women’s physical healthcare.
The Beyond the Surface report, published by Women’s Mental Health Australia, finds that 48 per cent of women with endometriosis reported depression, while 47 per cent reported anxiety or generalised anxiety disorder.
Women with PMOS reported similarly high rates, with 47 per cent experiencing depression and 39 per cent reporting anxiety.
The findings show that physical health conditions can have a significant impact on mental health, with women experiencing female-specific conditions facing the greatest psychological burden.
Across the sample, the prevalence of depression, anxiety, and other mental health conditions was significantly higher in the women facing these health conditions, between 1.6 and 2.2 times higher compared to women who do not have endometriosis or PMOS.
The report supports an urgent conversation about the need for a new model of care that integrates mental health assessment and support as part of the treatment for women’s physical health, rather than having to navigate different services and providers.
Chief Operating Officer of Women’s Mental Health Australia, Katrina Locandro, said the findings highlighted the gaps in the current approach to women’s healthcare.
“Women’s physical and mental health issues are not experienced independently, so our health system needs to adapt instead of maintaining the status quo,” Ms Locandro said. “Women deserve integrated models of care,” she said.
Report co-author, Dr Jodie Pestana, a postdoctoral researcher in the School of Psychology at UNSW, said the data showed health professionals needed to recognise and respond to female-specific conditions and the mental burdens that may accompany them.
“The research uncovered that conditions like endometriosis and PMOS double or triple the risk for women to experience mental health issues like PTSD, body image distress, and self-harm. Health professionals need to be educated on the increased risks so they can adequately care for women.”
One in three women surveyed said they were not seeking help for their mental health. While 32 per cent of respondents believed they could manage their symptoms themselves, others cited the cost of treatment, and 29 per cent believed their problems were not serious enough to warrant professional support.
The findings reflect a broader pattern in women’s healthcare, where symptoms can be minimised for so long that women begin to question whether they are serious enough to seek help. It echoes the message Bindi Irwin took to the World Health Organisation last year, calling for greater awareness and recognition of endometriosis and the women living with it.
For report co-author Professor Bronwyn Graham, addressing this gap starts with changing the way existing healthcare services respond to women’s mental health.
“The solution isn’t building an entirely new system – we simply need to strengthen existing ones by embedding routine mental health assessments, training clinicians, and creating clear referral pathways within services women already attend, such as government-funded Endometriosis and Pelvic Pain Clinics,” Professor Graham said.
The report found that, despite increased awareness of women’s mental health, the prevalence and severity of mental health issues among Australian women has remained broadly unchanged since Women’s Mental Health Australia began measuring the outcomes in 2022.