Women with endometriosis or polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome (PMOS) report depression and anxiety at up to 2.2 times the rate of other women, an Australian survey of 9,000 women has found. Its authors want mental health checks built into clinics that Australia is already expanding.
Content note: this article discusses suicide and self-harm.
“Women are being asked to manage two separate journeys, one for their body and one for their mind,” said Professor Bronwyn Graham. She directs the Centre for Sex and Gender Equity in Health and Medicine in Australia.
Graham co-authored Beyond the Surface 2026, a survey of 9,000 Australian women aged 18 and over. Nearly half of the women living with endometriosis or polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome (PMOS) reported depression.
PMOS is the new name for polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), agreed in an international consensus published in The Lancet in May 2026. Endometriosis is a condition in which tissue similar to the lining of the womb grows elsewhere in the body, often causing severe pain.
Mental health checks in clinics women already attend
The report recommends routine mental health assessment within existing women’s health services. It names Australia’s government-funded Endometriosis and Pelvic Pain Clinics as one place to start. “We simply need to strengthen existing services by embedding routine mental health assessments,” Graham said in a George Institute release. The report also calls for clinician training and clear referral pathways.
Australia’s federal government has announced an expansion of those clinics from 22 to 33. The George Institute runs Graham’s centre with UNSW’s Australian Human Rights Institute and Deakin University.
Depression, anxiety and distress in the survey
Among women with endometriosis, 48% reported depression and 47% anxiety. Among women with PMOS, the figures were 47% and 39%. Across both conditions, these rates were 1.6 to 2.2 times higher than among women without either condition.
Suicide or self-harm was reported by 13% of women with endometriosis and 10% of women with PMOS. The figure for all women surveyed was 4%. Both groups also reported higher rates of post-traumatic stress disorder and body image distress.
About one in three women in the survey weren’t seeking help for mental health problems. Common reasons were believing they could manage alone (32%), cost (31%) and not thinking the problem was serious enough (29%).
Fieldwork took place in April 2026 across all Australian states, and the authors describe the sample as nationally representative. The figures are self-reported, so they show how common these problems are without explaining their cause.
Screening that guidelines already recommend
Endometriosis affects an estimated 10% of reproductive-age women worldwide, about 190 million people, according to the World Health Organization. WHO says multidisciplinary pain care, including physiotherapy and cognitive behavioural therapy, can help reduce pain and improve quality of life.
WHO estimates that 10 to 13% of women globally have PCOS, and that up to 70% are undiagnosed. For women who do have a diagnosis, the 2023 international PCOS guideline recommends screening for depression, anxiety and, in some cases, eating disorders, MJA InSight+ reported. Clinicians and lived-experience experts from 71 countries contributed to that guideline.
Women with either condition can raise mood and anxiety with their clinician at a routine visit. The Monash Centre for Health Research and Implementation, which led the guideline, has developed an AskPMOS app with information for patients.
Where to find support
If you are struggling, you can find free, confidential helplines in your country through Find A Helpline. In Australia, Lifeline offers 24-hour crisis support on 13 11 14. If a life is in immediate danger, call your local emergency number.
This article is for information only and does not replace advice from a qualified health professional.
Header image: Henry Chen on Unsplash