REPERCUSSIONS OF ENDOMETRIOSIS ON WOMEN'S MENTAL HEALTH, QUALITY OF LIFE, AND PROFESSIONAL PERFORMANCE: AN INTEGRATIVE REVIEW

Abstract

Endometriosis is a chronic estrogen-dependent inflammatory condition that significantly affects the female population of reproductive age. Beyond the classic physical symptoms, such as chronic pelvic pain and infertility, the pathology profoundly reverberates in the psychosocial sphere of patients. The objective of this integrative review was to analyze the repercussions of endometriosis on mental health, quality of life, and female professional performance, based on studies published between 2020 and 2026. The methodology followed the tenets of an integrative review, with structured searches in PubMed, SciELO, and LILACS databases. The results point to an alarming prevalence of anxiety and depression disorders secondary to the management of stress and chronic pain. Quality of life appears severely compromised by the unpredictability of symptoms and delayed diagnosis, which perpetuates silent suffering. In the corporate sphere, absenteeism and presenteeism were frequently reported, resulting from extreme fatigue and painful crises in the workplace, leading to barriers to career progression and institutional stigma. It is concluded that endometriosis transcends the clinical dimension, requiring a strictly multidisciplinary therapeutic approach and the implementation of public health policies and corporate support that embrace the entirety of women's health, aiming to mitigate the psychosocial and economic impacts of this pathology.