---
title: Does having worse PMS symptoms mean a woman is more likely to feel depressed during pregnancy?
description: Yes, in this study the mood-related symptoms of PMS, such as low mood, anxiety and poor sleep, strongly predicted depressive symptoms in early pregnancy, whic
url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/antenatal-depressive-symptoms-are-strongly-predicted-by-the-severity-of-pre-2023/
---

- [Niyora](https://niyora.com/)
- [Research](https://niyora.com/research/)
- [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/)
- Does having worse PMS symptoms mean a woman is more likely to feel depressed during pregnancy?

Survey study, 2023

# Does having worse PMS symptoms mean a woman is more likely to feel depressed during pregnancy?

Yes, in this study the mood-related symptoms of PMS, such as low mood, anxiety and poor sleep, strongly predicted depressive symptoms in early pregnancy, which then predicted depression later in pregnancy. This is one observational study, so it shows a link, not a cause-and-effect proof.

 Early or limited evidence

Pregnant women followed from early to later pregnancy; exact number and country not given in the abstract.

## What they did

Pregnant women were followed from early pregnancy into later pregnancy (20 weeks or more). A screening tool (PSST) scored premenstrual symptoms, including mood items like depression, anxiety and insomnia, plus relationship satisfaction and partner abuse. Depression was measured at both time points using the EPDS scale and analysed with a statistical model (partial least squares).

## What they found

Mood-related PMS symptoms together with insomnia, relationship dissatisfaction and partner abuse explained 57.6% of the differences in early-pregnancy depression scores. Early depression then predicted later depression, with the link to later depression reaching significance for the mood-related PMS symptoms (p = 0.041), relationship dissatisfaction (p = 0.023) and partner abuse (p = 0.007). The physical (psychosomatic) PMS symptoms did not show this pattern.

## What it means for you

The emotional symptoms of PMS, not the physical ones, seem to share underlying biology with depression in pregnancy, so severe PMS mood symptoms before pregnancy could be an early warning sign. The study is cross-sectional and observational, and the abstract does not state how many women were studied or where, so it cannot prove cause and effect and its findings may not apply everywhere.

57.6%

of early pregnancy depression score explained by PMS mood symptoms

p = 0.041

significance of PMS mood symptoms' effect on later depression

p = 0.007

significance of partner abuse's effect on later depression

## About the study

Original title Antenatal depressive symptoms are strongly predicted by the severity of pre-menstrual syndrome: results of partial least squares analysis Authors Abe Y, Sirichokchatchawan W, Sangkomkamhang U et al. Journal International journal of clinical and health psychology : IJCHP Year 2023 Study design Survey study What was tested None tested; this was an observational study looking at associations, not a treatment. Open access Yes Read the paper [doi.org/10.1016/j.ijchp.2022.100356](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijchp.2022.100356)

## Topics

[Pregnancy and postpartum](https://niyora.com/research/topics/comorbidity-postpartum/)[Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Relationships and partners](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-relationships/)[Low mood and depression](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-depression-mood/)[Sleep and insomnia](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-sleep/)

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

Survey study, 2026

Does fear of childbirth explain why women with PMS are more likely to develop postpartum depression?

Cohort study, 2025

Is there a link between premenstrual disorders and autoimmune disease?

Survey study, 2026

What dietary, lifestyle, and psychological factors are associated with PMS in young women?

Survey study, 2025

Are premenstrual dysphoric disorder symptoms, stress, and sleep quality linked in female nursing students?

Cohort study, 2024

Does shift work worsen PMS symptoms in newly graduated nurses?

Cohort study, 2024

Is PMS before pregnancy linked to postpartum depression?

Ask AI about this page

Copy prompt

ChatGPT

↗

Claude

↗

Perplexity

↗

Google AI Mode

↗

Grok

↗