--- title: Do women with bipolar disorder who had PMS or postpartum depression have worse mood problems during menopause? description: Yes. Women with bipolar disorder who had premenstrual symptoms are 6.189 times more likely to have mood episodes during menopause, and those with postpartum d url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/associations-between-lifetime-reproductive-events-among-postmenopausal-women-2025/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - Do women with bipolar disorder who had PMS or postpartum depression have worse mood problems during menopause? Survey study, 2025 # Do women with bipolar disorder who had PMS or postpartum depression have worse mood problems during menopause? Yes. Women with bipolar disorder who had premenstrual symptoms are 6.189 times more likely to have mood episodes during menopause, and those with postpartum depression are 2.635 times more likely to have depression during menopause. Moderate study design 567 postmenopausal women with bipolar disorder in the UK. ## What they did Surveyed 567 postmenopausal women with bipolar disorder in the UK about their history of premenstrual symptoms, postpartum mood episodes, and mood episodes during menopause. ## What they found Women with a history of premenstrual symptoms were 6.189 times more likely to have any mood episode around menopause and 2.709 times more likely to have depression specifically. Those with postpartum depression within 6 weeks of delivery were 2.635 times more likely to have depression around menopause. Postpartum mania did not predict menopause mood problems. ## What it means for you If you have bipolar disorder with a history of PMS or postpartum depression, you are at higher risk for depression during menopause. This may help doctors identify women who need closer monitoring. However, the study is observational and cannot prove causality. Results apply to women with bipolar disorder in the UK. 567 postmenopausal women with bipolar disorder 6.189 times more likely to have mood episodes during menopause with history of PMS 2.635 times more likely to have depression during menopause with postpartum depression ## About the study Original title Associations between lifetime reproductive events among postmenopausal women with bipolar disorder Authors Gordon-Smith K, Perry A, Di Florio A et al. Journal Archives of women's mental health Year 2025 Study design Survey study Participants 567 What was tested History of premenstrual symptoms and postpartum mood episodes Open access Yes Read the paper [doi.org/10.1007/s00737-024-01533-2](https://doi.org/10.1007/s00737-024-01533-2) Original abstract Purpose: The premenstrual phase of the menstrual cycle, childbirth and perimenopause often coincide with a worsening of mood symptoms in women with bipolar disorder (BD). To date, findings from the limited number of studies investigating associations between these events among women with BD have been inconsistent. This study aimed to investigate associations between episodes in relation to the perimenopause and (i) premenstrual symptoms and (ii) postpartum mood episodes in a large sample of postmenopausal women with BD. Methods: Among 567 postmenopausal women with BD, recruited as part of the UK Bipolar Disorder Research Network, relationships between reproductive event-associated mood symptoms/episodes were examined. Multivariate binary analyses were carried out to identify if history of premenstrual symptoms and/or postpartum episodes predicted the occurrence of mood episodes in relation to the perimenopause, controlling for potential confounders including number of mood episodes per illness year. Results: History of premenstrual symptoms was associated with experiencing any type of mood episode, and depression specifically, during the perimenopause (OR 6.189, p < 0.001 and OR 2.709, p = 0.019 respectively). History of postpartum depression within 6 weeks of delivery was associated with depressive episodes during the perimenopause (OR 2.635, p = 0.027). Postpartum mania was not a significant predictor. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that women with BD with a history of premenstrual symptoms and postpartum depression are potentially at increased risk of experiencing episodes of depression in relation to the perimenopause. There are clinical and self-management implications in identifying a subgroup of women with BD who may be particularly vulnerable to episodes of mood disturbance during reproductive events. Reproduced under CC-BY. ## Topics [Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Menstrual cycle and mood](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-cycle-mood/)[Low mood and depression](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-depression-mood/)[Bipolar disorder](https://niyora.com/research/topics/comorbidity-bipolar/)[Perimenopause and menopause](https://niyora.com/research/topics/comorbidity-perimenopause/)[Pregnancy and postpartum](https://niyora.com/research/topics/comorbidity-postpartum/)[Work and productivity](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-work/) 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 Cohort study, 2007 Do women with depression or bipolar disorder experience premenstrual mood symptoms? Systematic review, 2026 Why do some women experience mood changes linked to their menstrual cycle? Survey study, 2026 Does a history of mood problems with your period predict depression during menopause? Review, 2016 How do reproductive hormones affect mood and behavior in women? Review, 2012 Is depression linked to hormonal changes during the menstrual cycle, pregnancy, and menopause? Review, 2011 Can estrogen hormones treat depression linked to the menstrual cycle? Ask AI about this page Copy prompt ChatGPT ↗ Claude ↗ Perplexity ↗ Google AI Mode ↗ Grok ↗