---
title: Do anxiety and depression relate to menstrual symptoms in healthy women?
description: Yes, there was an association between anxiety and depression scores and menstrual symptoms. Nearly half of the women reported menstrual symptoms. However, thi
url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/anxiety-depression-and-menstrual-symptoms-among-freshman-medical-students-1988/
---

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- Do anxiety and depression relate to menstrual symptoms in healthy women?

Cohort study, 1988

# Do anxiety and depression relate to menstrual symptoms in healthy women?

Yes, there was an association between anxiety and depression scores and menstrual symptoms. Nearly half of the women reported menstrual symptoms. However, this does not prove whether mood causes symptoms, symptoms cause mood, or both stem from another cause.

 Early or limited evidence

82 healthy, female, first-year medical students

## What they did

As part of a larger longitudinal study, 82 healthy female first-year medical students reported self-rated anxiety and depression scores and menstrual symptoms. The researchers examined whether symptoms were associated with mood scores.

## What they found

Nearly half of the 82 women reported frequent menstrual symptoms that caused discomfort but did not interfere with their academic performance. The data showed an association between anxiety and depression scores and certain self-reported menstrual symptoms.

## What it means for you

In this group of young, healthy women, mood and menstrual symptoms appear linked. However, the study cannot determine which causes which or whether both are caused by something else. This is correlation, not causation. More research is needed to understand this relationship in healthy women.

82

medical students

Nearly half

reported symptoms

No interference

academic performance

## About the study

Original title Anxiety, depression, and menstrual symptoms among freshman medical students Authors Sherry S, Notman MT, Nadelson CC et al. Journal The Journal of clinical psychiatry Year 1988 Study design Cohort study What was tested None; observational study measuring anxiety, depression, and menstrual symptoms Read the paper [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/3198581/](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/3198581/)

## Topics

[Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Low mood and depression](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-depression-mood/)[Anxiety and tension](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-anxiety/)[Major depressive disorder](https://niyora.com/research/topics/comorbidity-major-depression/)[Anxiety disorders and OCD](https://niyora.com/research/topics/comorbidity-anxiety-disorders/)[Students and academic performance](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-education/)

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