Case report, 2013
Can severe mood changes around a period be an early sign of bipolar disorder?
In one teenage girl, a psychotic episode tied to her period turned out to be the first sign of bipolar disorder. This is a single case, so it cannot tell us how common this is.
What they did
This is a report on one 13-year-old Hispanic girl who had no earlier mental health symptoms. Doctors described her case after she developed psychosis linked to her menstrual cycle.
What they found
The girl's psychotic episode around her period was the first sign of a bipolar disorder that doctors could not fully classify into a specific subtype. The report notes that in children, bipolar disorder often looks different from adults, with mood episodes that are less clear-cut and shorter, and different typical symptoms.
What it means for you
This single case suggests that severe mood or psychotic symptoms around the time of a period, especially in a teenager, could sometimes point to a bipolar disorder rather than just PMS or PMDD. Because it is only one case, it cannot show how often this happens or apply to people in general.
13 years
Age of the patient
About the study
- Original title
- Menstrual psychosis: presenting symptom of bipolar disorder not otherwise specified in a 13-years-old Hispanic female
- Authors
- Santos-Cubiñá J, Castaing-Lespier PA, Sabaté N et al.
- Journal
- Boletin de la Asociacion Medica de Puerto Rico
- Year
- 2013
- Study design
- Case report
- What was tested
- None tested; this is a description of a clinical case
- Read the paper
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24282923/
Topics
Related studies
Study, 2026
Do anxiety and depression get worse before your period if you already have a mental health condition?
Survey study, 2001
How common is premenstrual dysphoric disorder and how is it related to other psychiatric conditions?
Review, 2025
How does the menstrual cycle affect psychiatric symptoms like depression and anxiety?
Randomised trial, 2020
How should premenstrual syndrome be diagnosed and treated?
Randomised trial, 2015
Does quetiapine help women with PMS/PMDD who don't respond well to antidepressants?
Survey study, 1995
What's different about women who seek treatment for premenstrual mood changes?