Endometriosis impacts the physical, psychological and quality of life domains of women. Despite the medical and/or surgical management of endometriosis, the presence of persistent pelvic pain and psychological distress often continues, suggesting a role for psychological interventions in treatment planning. The present study aimed to conduct the first systematic review, with narrative data synthesis, on psychological interventions for endometriosis-related symptoms. The study also aimed to determine the effectiveness of current interventions in resolving psychological and pain-related loss of function associated with endometriosis and to identify gaps in the literature requiring further research. A total of 15,816 studies were retrieved through database searching and handsearching, with two researchers identifying 11 full-text studies that met inclusion criteria. Three studies of ‘moderate’ quality were identified, although the overall quality of studies was found to be ‘weak’, with a ‘high’ risk of bias. The findings regarding the effectiveness of psychological interventions for endometriosis-related symptoms remain inconclusive. Further research into psychological interventions for women with endometriosis that employ evidence-based protocols with high intervention integrity is recommended.

Item Type:	Refereed Article
Keywords:	endometriosis, psychological treatment, persistent pelvic pain, quality of life
Research Division:	Health Sciences
Research Group:	Health services and systems
Research Field:	Mental health services
Objective Division:	Health
Objective Group:	Clinical health
Objective Field:	Clinical health not elsewhere classified
UTAS Author:	Van Niekerk, L (Dr Leesa Van Niekerk)
UTAS Author:	Weaver-Pirie, B (Ms Bronwyn Weaver-Pirie)
UTAS Author:	Matthewson, M (Dr Mandy Matthewson)
ID Code:	133292
Year Published:	2019
Web of Science® Times Cited:	8
Deposited By:	Psychology
Deposited On:	2019-06-21
Last Modified:	2021-01-27
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