---
title: What do menstrually-related mood disorders and postpartum depression have in common?
description: They share similar symptoms like anxiety, irritability, and depressed mood. They may be caused by similar hormone changes and stress effects on the brain, but
url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/menstrually-related-mood-disorders-and-postpartum-depression-convergent-aspects-2025/
---

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- What do menstrually-related mood disorders and postpartum depression have in common?

Review, 2025

# What do menstrually-related mood disorders and postpartum depression have in common?

They share similar symptoms like anxiety, irritability, and depressed mood. They may be caused by similar hormone changes and stress effects on the brain, but more research is needed to understand all the factors involved.

 Moderate study design

Women with menstrually-related mood disorders and postpartum depression (review article)

## What they did

The authors reviewed published research on the causes of menstrually-related mood disorders (MRMDs) and postpartum depression (PPD) to find shared biological pathways between them.

## What they found

MRMDs and PPD overlap in symptoms and underlying causes. Both involve dramatic hormone changes, changes in how the body responds to stress (HPA axis), and effects on brain chemicals including GABA and serotonin. Chronic stress may also play a role.

## What it means for you

These conditions may share common biological pathways, which could help develop better treatments for women who experience both. The main limit is that this is a review of existing research, not new findings from a study.

## About the study

Original title Menstrually-related mood disorders and postpartum depression: Convergent aspects in aetiology Authors Islas-Preciado D, Estrada-Camarena E, Galea LAM Journal Frontiers in neuroendocrinology Year 2025 Study design Review What was tested None Read the paper [doi.org/10.1016/j.yfrne.2024.101171](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.yfrne.2024.101171)

## Topics

[Reproductive hormone sensitivity](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-hormone-sensitivity/)[Low mood and depression](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-depression-mood/)[Stress](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-stress/)[Neurosteroids (allopregnanolone)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-neurosteroids/)[Pregnancy and postpartum](https://niyora.com/research/topics/comorbidity-postpartum/)

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Calm down, see it another way, and decide what to say, with a PMS and PMDD app built by a doctor.

## Related studies

Systematic review, 2026

Why do some women experience mood changes linked to their menstrual cycle?

Systematic review, 2021

Are there hormone changes that could explain PMDD or depression in women?

Review, 2003

How do menstrual cycle hormones affect the brain and cause mood disorders like PMDD?

Study, 2025

Can blood markers that predict depression after childbirth also predict PMDD?

Randomised trial, 2020

Do steroid metabolites differ between women with PMDD and those without?

Randomised trial, 2017

Do hormones process differently in women with PMDD?

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