--- title: Do adverse childhood experiences increase risk of PMS and PMDD? description: Women who experienced adverse childhood events had significantly higher risk of PMS and PMDD. Those with 4 or more such experiences had 2.46 times higher risk url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/association-between-adverse-childhood-experiences-and-premenstrual-disorders-a-2022/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - Do adverse childhood experiences increase risk of PMS and PMDD? Cohort study, 2022 # Do adverse childhood experiences increase risk of PMS and PMDD? Women who experienced adverse childhood events had significantly higher risk of PMS and PMDD. Those with 4 or more such experiences had 2.46 times higher risk than those with none. The link was stronger for PMDD than for PMS. Moderate study design 11,973 menstruating women, average age 34 years ## What they did Cross-sectional analysis of 11,973 menstruating women (average age 34 years) from the Stress-And-Gene-Analysis cohort. Researchers asked about 13 types of adverse childhood experiences and screened for PMS and PMDD using standard questionnaires. ## What they found 27% of women met criteria for probable premenstrual disorders: 21% had PMS and 6% had PMDD. For each additional adverse childhood experience, PMS/PMDD risk increased by 12%. Women with 4 or more adverse experiences had 2.46 times higher risk than those with none. The association was stronger for PMDD than for PMS. ## What it means for you Women who experienced childhood trauma report higher rates of PMS and PMDD. If this happened to you, know you may have higher risk and should discuss it with your doctor. The study was large but looked at one moment in time, not following people forward, so we cannot prove trauma caused PMS. 27% had probable premenstrual disorders 2.46 times higher risk with 4+ adverse experiences 6% had probable PMDD ## About the study Original title Association between adverse childhood experiences and premenstrual disorders: a cross-sectional analysis of 11,973 women Authors Yang Q, Þórðardóttir EB, Hauksdóttir A et al. Journal BMC medicine Year 2022 Study design Cohort study Participants 11,973 What was tested None (observational) Open access Yes Read the paper [doi.org/10.1186/s12916-022-02275-7](https://doi.org/10.1186/s12916-022-02275-7) Original abstract Background: Childhood abuse and neglect have been associated with premenstrual disorders (PMDs), including premenstrual syndrome (PMS) and premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD). However, the associations of other adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and the cumulative number of ACEs with PMDs remain to be explored. Methods: To evaluate the associations of the cumulative number and types of ACEs with PMDs, we conducted a cross-sectional analysis with a subsample of menstruating women within the Stress-And-Gene-Analysis (SAGA) cohort, assessed for PMDs and ACEs (N=11,973). The cumulative and individual exposure of 13 types of ACEs was evaluated by a modified ACE-International Questionnaire. A modified version of the Premenstrual Symptom Screening Tool was used to identify probable cases of PMDs, further sub-grouped into PMS and PMDD. Prevalence ratios (PRs) of PMDs in relation to varying ACEs were estimated using Poisson regression. Results: At a mean age of 34.0 years (standard deviation (SD) 9.1), 3235 (27%) met the criteria of probable PMDs, including 2501 (21%) for PMS and 734 (6%) for PMDD. The number of ACEs was linearly associated with PMDs (fully-adjusted PR 1.12 per ACE, 95% CI 1.11-1.13). Specifically, the PR for PMDs was 2.46 (95% CI 2.21-2.74) for women with 4 or more ACEs compared with women with no ACEs. A stronger association was observed for probable PMDD compared to PMS (p for difference <0.001). The associations between ACEs and PMDs were stronger among women without PTSD, anxiety, or depression, and without childhood deprivation and were stronger among women a lower level of social support (p for interaction<0.001). All types of ACEs were positively associated with PMDs (PRs ranged from 1.11 to 1.51); the associations of sexual abuse, emotional neglect, family violence, mental illness of a household member, and peer and collective violence were independent of other ACEs. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that childhood adverse experiences are associated with PMDs in a dose-dependent manner. If confirmed by prospective data, our findings support the importance of early intervention for girls exposed to ACEs to minimize risks of PMDs and other morbidities in adulthood. Reproduced under CC-BY. ## Topics [Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pmdd/)[Low mood and depression](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-depression-mood/)[Anxiety and tension](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-anxiety/)[Anxiety disorders and OCD](https://niyora.com/research/topics/comorbidity-anxiety-disorders/)[PTSD and trauma](https://niyora.com/research/topics/comorbidity-ptsd-trauma/)[Legal and forensic](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-legal-crime/) 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? Cohort study, 2004 What risk factors cause PMDD to develop? Review, 2000 What conditions beyond depression can antidepressants treat? Non-randomised trial, 2008 Can the Sheehan Disability Scale measure whether treatments work? Randomised trial, 1999 Do SSRIs reduce premenstrual dysphoria symptoms? Study, 2026 What are premenstrual syndrome and premenstrual dysphoric disorder? Ask AI about this page Copy prompt ChatGPT ↗ Claude ↗ Perplexity ↗ Google AI Mode ↗ Grok ↗