--- title: Does the menstrual cycle affect obsessive-compulsive disorder symptoms? description: Yes, for some women. OCD started at menarche in 22% of women and worsened premenstrually in 20%. It worsened after childbirth in 50% of women who became pregn url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/female-reproductive-cycle-and-obsessive-compulsive-disorder-2005/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - Does the menstrual cycle affect obsessive-compulsive disorder symptoms? Survey study, 2005 # Does the menstrual cycle affect obsessive-compulsive disorder symptoms? Yes, for some women. OCD started at menarche in 22% of women and worsened premenstrually in 20%. It worsened after childbirth in 50% of women who became pregnant. Early or limited evidence 46 women with OCD ## What they did Cross-sectional study where 46 women with OCD completed interviews from 2001 to 2003 about whether their OCD started or worsened during reproductive events like menarche, pregnancy, postpartum, or menopause. ## What they found OCD began at menarche in 22% (n=10), at pregnancy in 2% (n=1), at postpartum in 7% (n=3), and at menopause in 2% (n=1). It worsened premenstrually in 20% (9/45), at pregnancy in 8% (1/12), at postpartum in 50% (6/12), and at menopause in 8% (1/12). Women with more premenstrual mood symptoms had 5.1-fold higher risk of premenstrual OCD worsening and 2.7-fold higher risk of postpartum worsening. ## What it means for you For some women, OCD symptoms are linked to hormonal changes during the menstrual cycle and pregnancy. This study relied on women remembering when symptoms started, which is not always accurate. 46 women with OCD 22% with OCD onset at menarche 20% with premenstrual OCD worsening ## About the study Original title Female reproductive cycle and obsessive-compulsive disorder Authors Labad J, Menchón JM, Alonso P et al. Journal The Journal of clinical psychiatry Year 2005 Study design Survey study Participants 10 What was tested None, interviews about symptom timing Read the paper [doi.org/10.4088/jcp.v66n0404](https://doi.org/10.4088/jcp.v66n0404) ## 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/)[Major depressive disorder](https://niyora.com/research/topics/comorbidity-major-depression/)[Anxiety disorders and OCD](https://niyora.com/research/topics/comorbidity-anxiety-disorders/)[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/)[Relationships and partners](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-relationships/)[Adolescents and young people](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-adolescents/) 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 Lab study, 2018 How does depression affect menstrual function and fertility in women? Review, 2002 What are the reproductive-related mood disorders and how are they connected? Survey study, 2006 Does the menstrual cycle affect how severe OCD symptoms are? Review, 2002 Are women more likely to get depression, especially due to hormonal changes? Randomised trial, 2001 Do changing reproductive hormones disrupt the body's internal clock and cause mood disorders? Review, 1992 Is PMS really caused by hormones? Ask AI about this page Copy prompt ChatGPT ↗ Claude ↗ Perplexity ↗ Google AI Mode ↗ Grok ↗