**1. Introduction**

Every person reacts differently to the diagnosis of a chronic illness, in accordance with their individual characteristics. Any illness affects the psychological state and functioning of the person diagnosed with it, and chronic illnesses are very often associated with a number of adaptations and changes in a person's life and activities [1–3]. Significant factors affecting the acceptance of illness include a person's belief in their capacity to adapt, their self-esteem, self-efficacy, optimism, and socio-demographic factors [1–4].

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is one of the most common chronic endocrinopathies affecting between 5 and 10% of reproductive age women. The syndrome presents a variety of symptoms, including hyperandrogenism, menstrual disorders, obesity, metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes mellitus, fertility disorders, or emotional and psychological disorders, while its etiology has not ye<sup>t</sup> been fully understood [5–7]. Polycystic ovary syndrome is most commonly diagnosed based on the Rotterdam criteria, i.e., when two out of the following three findings are present: oligomenorrhea or oligo-ovulation, clinical and/or biochemical hyperandrogenism, and/or polycystic ovaries on ultrasound [7]. A diagnosis of PCOS very often causes a deterioration in the woman's self-esteem and self-image, and consequently her quality of life (QoL) [8,9]. Polycystic ovary syndrome presents a broad variety of symptoms, including metabolic, endocrine, and emotional or psychological ones, which is extremely challenging to women diagnosed with the disorder [5,7,10]. Numerous studies on PCOS focus on its biological and physiological aspects, though a growing number of publications discuss the adverse impact of PCOS on women's lives and how women function. These publications emphasize the fact that PCOS patients are at a higher risk of depression, anxiety, and low QoL [5–13]. Thus, women with PCOS, faced with the challenge of such a multidimensional disorder, must cope with their new situation. This may be affected by multiple factors, including the patient's individual predispositions [6,8–13].

Individual capabilities and predispositions, including optimism or self-efficacy, have an impact on a person's acceptance of their situation, including the situation of being ill, and this motivated the authors to tackle this subject in the present paper. The purpose of the study was to investigate generalized self-efficacy, dispositional optimism and acceptance of illness in women with PCOS and to explore factors that affect these variables.
