--- title: Do women with OCD experience worse symptoms before their period? description: About half (49.7%) do experience premenstrual worsening of OCD symptoms. These women show higher rates of depression, anxiety, suicidal thinking, and specific url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/an-exploratory-dimensional-approach-to-premenstrual-manifestation-of-obsessive-2013/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - Do women with OCD experience worse symptoms before their period? Survey study, 2013 # Do women with OCD experience worse symptoms before their period? About half (49.7%) do experience premenstrual worsening of OCD symptoms. These women show higher rates of depression, anxiety, suicidal thinking, and specific obsessions about sex or religion. Early or limited evidence 455 women with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) ## What they did Cross-sectional study of 455 women with obsessive-compulsive disorder. Researchers divided them into two groups: 226 who noticed their OCD symptoms got worse before their period and 229 who did not. They measured OCD severity, depression, and anxiety using standardised questionnaires. ## What they found Nearly half (49.7%) of women with OCD experienced premenstrual worsening of their symptoms. Compared to women without premenstrual worsening, this group had significantly higher rates of suicidal thoughts (P<.001), suicide attempts (P=.027), current SSRI use (P=.022), lifetime mood stabilizer use (P=.015), and were 1.90 times more likely to have obsessions about sex or religion (P<.001). They also had higher depression and anxiety scores. ## What it means for you This finding suggests hormonal changes around the menstrual cycle may worsen OCD symptoms in some women, which matters for their mental health care. However, this study did not measure hormone levels or track women through their cycles, so we cannot confirm hormones are the cause. 455 women with OCD 49.7% with premenstrual symptom worsening 1.90 increased odds of sexual or religious obsessions ## About the study Original title An exploratory dimensional approach to premenstrual manifestation of obsessive-compulsive disorder symptoms: a multicentre study Authors Moreira L, Bins H, Toressan R et al. Journal Journal of psychosomatic research Year 2013 Study design Survey study Participants 455 What was tested None (observational comparison of OCD patients with and without premenstrual worsening) Read the paper [doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychores.2012.12.004](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychores.2012.12.004) ## Topics [Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Premenstrual exacerbation (PME)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pme/)[Low mood and depression](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-depression-mood/)[Anxiety and tension](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-anxiety/)[Suicidality](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-suicidality/)[SSRIs and antidepressants](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-ssri/)[Anxiety disorders and OCD](https://niyora.com/research/topics/comorbidity-anxiety-disorders/) Research tells you what helps on average. Niyora helps on the day it hits. Calm down, see it another way, and decide what to say, with a PMS and PMDD app built by a doctor. ## Related studies Study, 2026 Do anxiety and depression get worse before your period if you already have a mental health condition? Guideline, 2006 What is the best treatment for PMDD and severe PMS? Review, 2002 What are the reproductive-related mood disorders and how are they connected? Randomised trial, 1999 Do SSRIs reduce premenstrual dysphoria symptoms? Cohort study, 2023 Are premenstrual disorders linked to depression, anxiety, and self-harm in teenage girls? Randomised trial, 2020 Does an oxaloacetate and vitamin C combination reduce emotional symptoms of PMS? Ask AI about this page Copy prompt ChatGPT ↗ Claude ↗ Perplexity ↗ Google AI Mode ↗ Grok ↗