Cohort study, 2018
Do emotional and behavioral symptoms of borderline personality disorder get worse before menstruation?
Most emotional symptoms appeared to get worse in the middle-to-late luteal phase and around menstruation, then improved in the follicular phase. However, the study was very small and included only unmedicated women without painful periods.
What they did
15 unmedicated women with borderline personality disorder reported daily symptoms across 35 days. Researchers confirmed menstrual cycle phases using hormone tests (luteinizing hormone in urine and progesterone in saliva) and used the Carolina Premenstrual Assessment Scoring System to identify symptoms that changed predictably with the cycle.
What they found
Most symptoms showed worsening in the middle luteal phase, peaked around menstruation, then improved in the follicular or ovulatory phase. Depressive symptoms had a different pattern, worsening in both the perimenstrual and follicular phases. Most women met criteria for clinically significant symptom exacerbation of at least 30% during the cycle. None of the women met diagnostic criteria for PMDD.
What it means for you
Women with borderline personality disorder may be particularly vulnerable to emotional symptoms worsening around menstruation. Doctors might consider tracking symptoms across menstrual cycles in these patients. However, this study was very small with only 15 women and included only unmedicated women without painful periods, so results may not apply to all women with this condition.
15
women studied
35
days of symptom tracking
0
women meeting PMDD criteria
About the study
- Original title
- Perimenstrual exacerbation of symptoms in borderline personality disorder: evidence from multilevel models and the Carolina Premenstrual Assessment Scoring System
- Authors
- Eisenlohr-Moul TA, Schmalenberger KM, Owens SA et al.
- Journal
- Psychological medicine
- Year
- 2018
- Study design
- Cohort study
- What was tested
- None (observational with hormone confirmation)
- Open access
- Yes
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1017/s0033291718001253
Topics
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