Mood and Nutrition Interventions in Polycystic Ovary Syndrome

Participants will receive weekly, 30 minute sessions with a CBT-trained clinical psychologist for the first 8 weeks. Briefly, the purpose of CBT is to treat mood and associated anxiety disorders by changing dysfunctional thoughts that lead to negative mood states and maladaptive behaviors. Through the use of Socratic questioning, the therapist challenges the patient to observe the relationship between thoughts and feelings and to question the underlying beliefs that perpetuate negative affect. Ultimately, patients learns to recognize maladaptive automatic thoughts and develop a more rational and balanced way of thinking about themselves and the world around them.

All women will receive nutrition/exercise counseling by a trained counselor. They will consume a self-selected diet of 1500-1800kcal/d of conventional foods based on the Food Guide Pyramid. Participants will also have an exercise goal that starts at 50 minutes per week and increases to 175 minutes per week. Sessions will teach standard weight loss skills, including self-monitoring, problem-solving, enlisting social support, and overcoming negative thoughts. Subjects will be asked to keep daily food intake and exercise logs which will be reviewed at the nutrition counseling sessions. These sessions will occur in person once weekly lasting on average 30 minutes for 16 sessions.