The psychological effects of hysterectomy

Reviews the literature, noting that although hysterectomy remains one of the most common forms of surgery to which women are exposed, the psychological implications remain obscure. Psychological factors have been investigated as both as independent and dependent variables, but a variety of procedural and design shortcomings leave the importance of such factors obscure. The more common faults include an undue emphasis on retrospective designs, inadequate controls, contamination of assessment procedures, and failure to quantify and adequately analyze results. The present article concludes with an examination of those variables which the author believes ought to be considered by investigators planning research in this area. (French abstract) (66 ref)