---
title: Is depression around the period, after birth, or at menopause caused by abnormal reproductive hormones?
description: No clear hormone abnormality has been found to explain PMS. No abnormalities in LH, estrogen, or progesterone were documented in PMS, though completely stoppi
url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/psychoneuroendocrinology-of-depression-hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal-axis-1998/
---

- [Niyora](https://niyora.com/)
- [Research](https://niyora.com/research/)
- [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/)
- Is depression around the period, after birth, or at menopause caused by abnormal reproductive hormones?

Survey study, 1998

# Is depression around the period, after birth, or at menopause caused by abnormal reproductive hormones?

No clear hormone abnormality has been found to explain PMS. No abnormalities in LH, estrogen, or progesterone were documented in PMS, though completely stopping monthly hormone cycling with a drug called leuprolide improved mood.

 Early or limited evidence

Women in general, drawing on research about depression linked to the premenstrual, postpartum, and menopausal transition periods

## What they did

This review brought together research on depression and reproductive hormones, covering the time before a period, after childbirth, and around menopause.

## What they found

No abnormalities in LH activity were documented in depression, and no abnormalities in LH, estradiol, or progesterone were documented in PMS. Completely stopping monthly cycling with leuprolide improved mood. Some studies suggested estrogen helped mood in women after menopause, but no well-controlled studies had tested estrogen treatment in women before or after menopause.

## What it means for you

There is no evidence that PMS comes from abnormal hormone levels, but removing the monthly hormone cycle entirely may help mood. Whether estrogen itself helps mood is still unclear because strong, well-controlled studies had not been done. This is a summary of existing research rather than a new study, so it carries less certainty than a well-designed trial.

## About the study

Original title Psychoneuroendocrinology of depression. Hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis Authors Young E, Korszun A Journal The Psychiatric clinics of North America Year 1998 Study design Survey study What was tested Review of hormone-related research, including the effect of leuprolide (which stops monthly hormone cycling) and estrogen treatment Read the paper [doi.org/10.1016/s0193-953x(05)70007-1](https://doi.org/10.1016/s0193-953x(05)70007-1)

## Topics

[Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Low mood and depression](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-depression-mood/)[Stress](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-stress/)[GnRH agonists and ovarian suppression](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-gnrh/)[Perimenopause and menopause](https://niyora.com/research/topics/comorbidity-perimenopause/)

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, 2002

Are hormone problems the cause of PMS?

Review, 2018

Which women are most likely to experience hot flashes during menopause?

Cohort study, 2022

What are PMS and PMDD and how should they be diagnosed and treated?

Randomised trial, 2012

Is the stress hormone system different in women with premenstrual dysphoria?

Review, 2012

Is depression linked to hormonal changes during the menstrual cycle, pregnancy, and menopause?

Study, 2003

Does the stress response system work differently in women with PMS across the menstrual cycle?

Ask AI about this page

Copy prompt

ChatGPT

↗

Claude

↗

Perplexity

↗

Google AI Mode

↗

Grok

↗