Genitourinary Disorders - Amenorrhea

Secondary amenorrhea is defined as the absence of menstruation in a woman w a prior normal cycle. If menstruation ceases from organic causes, in a menopause, then it is of no interest to us as psychologist. But if and when menstruation ceases in relation to fear, depression, or anxiety, then it comes under our preview.




Dunbar (1983) reported the delay of menstruation, regulation of the cycle, control of the pain of menstruation, and the length and amount of bleeding and induction of menstruation in amenorrheics. Menninger (1939) attributed sterility, frigidity, vaginismus, amenorrhea, dysmenorhea, and vomiting to the unsconcious repudiation of feminity in women.
In their study of concentration-camp victims, Whitacre and Barrera (1944) observed, 1.172 female internes in Manila's Santo Tomas Concentration Camp. Of the series, 1.042 subjects were between 14 and 45. Cessation of menstruation occured in 14.8percent of cases in 23percent of 60 nurses who joined the group later. Since most amenorrhea occured immeadiately after the first bombing of Manila, it could hardly be ascribed to dietary deficiencies as some have thought.
Kelley, Daniels, Poe, Easser and Monroe (1954) compared a group of 26 women w amenorrhea of unknown origin lasting at least six months w control groups of (a) 20private patients who had never experienced secondary amenorrhea but who had a variety of psychiatric disabilities and (b) a "normal" group which had had neither. The comparisons discriminate significantly between the amenorrheics and the controls in schizoid thinking, psychosexual immaturity and oral conflicts.

Source : N. H. Pronko 1963. Textbook of ABNORMAL PSYCHOLOGY

Sincerely,

sick-psycho