--- title: Is premenstrual and menstrual depression linked to pain and menstrual bleeding? description: Premenstrual and menstrual depression is strongly associated with pain during these times, though the relationship with bleeding is weaker. It remains unclear url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/perimenstrual-depression-its-relationship-to-pain-bleeding-and-previous-history-1995/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - Is premenstrual and menstrual depression linked to pain and menstrual bleeding? Cohort study, 1995 # Is premenstrual and menstrual depression linked to pain and menstrual bleeding? Premenstrual and menstrual depression is strongly associated with pain during these times, though the relationship with bleeding is weaker. It remains unclear whether depression makes pain feel worse, pain triggers depression, or another factor causes both. Moderate study design 210 women attending a Premenstrual Syndrome Clinic ## What they did 210 women attending a PMS clinic recorded daily ratings of depression, pain, and menstrual blood loss. Researchers analyzed these ratings along with each woman's past history of treated depression to look for relationships between these variables. ## What they found Severity and duration of perimenstrual depression was strongly associated with the severity of premenstrual and menstrual pain. A relationship between depression and subjective reports of blood loss was observed but was less marked than the relationship with pain. A relationship between past history of treated depression and current premenstrual depression that had been found in an earlier retrospective study was not found in this prospective study. ## What it means for you Perimenstrual depression and pain are linked, but we do not know which causes which or if they share an underlying cause. A main limitation is that this is an associational study that cannot prove causation. 210 women studied ## About the study Original title Perimenstrual depression: its relationship to pain, bleeding, and previous history of depression Authors Bancroft J, Rennie D Journal Psychosomatic medicine Year 1995 Study design Cohort study Participants 210 What was tested None, observational study Read the paper [doi.org/10.1097/00006842-199509000-00006](https://doi.org/10.1097/00006842-199509000-00006) ## Topics [Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Dysmenorrhea and period pain](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-dysmenorrhea/)[Low mood and depression](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-depression-mood/)[Pain and headache](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-pain/)[Major depressive disorder](https://niyora.com/research/topics/comorbidity-major-depression/)[Relationships and partners](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-relationships/) 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 What are premenstrual syndrome and premenstrual dysphoric disorder? Survey study, 2019 What lifestyle and sleep habits are linked to PMS in teenage girls? Survey study, 2024 What factors are linked to PMDD in female university students? Case report, 2023 Does a combination of maca, progesterone, and magnesium help PMDD symptoms? Interview study, 1996 Do antidepressants help treat PMDD and similar conditions? Survey study, 1994 Do women with a history of depression experience worse menstrual mood changes? Ask AI about this page Copy prompt ChatGPT ↗ Claude ↗ Perplexity ↗ Google AI Mode ↗ Grok ↗