---
title: What causes severe psychiatric symptoms that recur with the menstrual cycle, and how should they be treated?
description: Menstrual psychosis is a rare condition where severe psychiatric symptoms occur cyclically with menstruation. Hormonal therapy is more effective than antipsyc
url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/perimenstrual-psychiatric-hospitalization-case-report-and-literature-review-2020/
---

- [Niyora](https://niyora.com/)
- [Research](https://niyora.com/research/)
- [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/)
- What causes severe psychiatric symptoms that recur with the menstrual cycle, and how should they be treated?

Case report, 2020

# What causes severe psychiatric symptoms that recur with the menstrual cycle, and how should they be treated?

Menstrual psychosis is a rare condition where severe psychiatric symptoms occur cyclically with menstruation. Hormonal therapy is more effective than antipsychotic medications alone.

 Early or limited evidence

A 25-year-old woman with recurrent hospitalizations for menstrual psychosis, plus review of approximately 80 reported cases.

## What they did

Case report of a 25-year-old woman with recurrent hospitalizations for psychiatric symptoms that followed her menstrual cycle, plus a review of about 80 other reported cases in the medical literature.

## What they found

About 80 cases of menstrual psychosis have been reported in the medical literature. The woman in this case experienced repeated hospitalizations for mental status changes, psychotic symptoms and catatonia that appeared to follow her menstrual cycle. Between episodes, despite continued antipsychotic medication, she returned to normal functioning. Symptoms only resolved when hormonal therapy was started.

## What it means for you

Menstrual psychosis is rare but real, and often missed. When psychiatric symptoms follow a cyclical pattern with menstruation, hormonal therapy should be considered because antipsychotic medications alone often do not work. The main limit is that only 80 cases have been reported, so this is very rare and we know little about it.

80

cases of menstrual psychosis reported in medical literature

25

age of woman in case

## About the study

Original title Perimenstrual psychiatric hospitalization: case report and literature review Authors Ward HB, Greenberg JA, Almeida M Journal Archives of women's mental health Year 2020 Study design Case report Participants 80 What was tested Hormonal therapy for menstrual psychosis. Read the paper [doi.org/10.1007/s00737-019-00967-3](https://doi.org/10.1007/s00737-019-00967-3)

## Topics

[Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Menstrual psychosis](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-menstrual-psychosis/)[Oral contraceptives and drospirenone](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-hormonal-contraceptives/)[Schizophrenia and psychosis](https://niyora.com/research/topics/comorbidity-psychosis/)[Stigma, attitudes and culture](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-stigma-culture/)

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

Review, 1989

Are mental health conditions linked to the reproductive cycle?

Survey study, 2023

Is PMDD diagnosis associated with more severe depression and anxiety and lower well-being?

Survey study, 2022

Do female athletes get enough knowledge and support about their period?

Survey study, 2022

Do menstrual cycles and birth control affect female athletes' training and performance?

Survey study, 2021

Do female military officers want to suppress their periods during training?

Guideline, 2021

How do premenstrual symptoms affect women's work performance and attendance?

Ask AI about this page

Copy prompt

ChatGPT

↗

Claude

↗

Perplexity

↗

Google AI Mode

↗

Grok

↗