Psychosomatische Aspekte der Hysterektomie

Psychosocial effects of hysterectomy

“…Hysterectomy is theorized to cause depression because of the perceived loss of feminine selfimage, strength, and self-esteem, as well as feelings of deformation, mutilation, and the mourning of the loss of child-bearing capacity [85,101]. Bachmann [9] has summarized the symbolic meanings of the uterus: femininity, childbearing, sexuality, strength, vitality, youth, attractiveness, competency, regulation of body processes, and control of the rhythm of life [71,102,103]. The wish for future children is correlated with posthysterectomy depression, independent of whether the woman has borne children [104].…”

“…Early psychiatric theories have associated general psychopathology in women to the uterus and/or uterine pathology [9,71,102,103]. The removal of the uterus was thought to either (a) enhance global psychological functioning or (b) cause psychiatric disorders, mainly depression.…”