Survey study, 1981
Could endorphins cause premenstrual and postpartum depression?
This is a proposed theory, not proven by research. The authors suggest that changes in endorphin levels (natural chemicals that affect mood and pain) might contribute to depression before the period and after birth, since both endorphins and estrogen drop rapidly at these times.
What they did
The authors reviewed existing scientific evidence about endorphins, mood, and hormones. They did not conduct new research. Instead, they proposed a theory to explain why some women develop depression symptoms at specific times in their cycle.
What they found
They found indirect evidence suggesting a possible link: endorphin levels change with mood, drugs that block endorphins can trigger depression-like symptoms, and both endorphins and estrogen drop sharply before menstruation and after birth (when depression commonly occurs in some women). They also noted that estrogen and endorphin levels change together.
What it means for you
This is a hypothesis for future research, not yet proven. The evidence is indirect and comes from different types of studies. The paper does not tell us whether endorphins actually cause premenstrual or postpartum depression, only that they could be involved. The main limit: this is an old paper (1981) with only a theoretical proposal.
About the study
- Original title
- Possible involvement of endorphin withdrawal or imbalance in specific premenstrual syndromes and postpartum depression
- Authors
- Halbreich U, Endicott J
- Journal
- Medical hypotheses
- Year
- 1981
- Study design
- Survey study
- What was tested
- None - theoretical hypothesis
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1016/0306-9877(81)90100-6
Topics
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