Study, 2005
Do women with depression experience worsening of symptoms before their period?
Yes. 64% of women with depression reported worsening of symptoms in the 5 to 10 days before their period. This worsening appears linked to longer-lasting depression.
What they did
Researchers asked 433 premenopausal women with major depression who were not taking oral contraceptives whether they experienced worsening of depressive symptoms in the 5 to 10 days before their period. They compared women who reported worsening with those who did not, looking at how long their current depression had lasted, physical health problems, and specific symptoms.
What they found
64% of the 433 women reported worsening before their period. Women reporting worsening had a longer current depression episode (30.7 months on average compared to 13.5 months) and more physical health problems. They reported more heaviness and body complaints, stomach problems, and slowness. They were less likely to report flat emotional responses.
What it means for you
Most women with depression experience worsening before their period, and this appears linked to how long their depression lasts. The main limit is that this was based on what women reported about their own experience, not measured in a controlled setting.
64%
women reporting premenstrual worsening
30.7 months
average depression duration with worsening
13.5 months
average depression duration without worsening
About the study
- Original title
- Self-reported premenstrual exacerbation of depressive symptoms in patients seeking treatment for major depression
- Authors
- Kornstein SG, Harvey AT, Rush AJ et al.
- Journal
- Psychological medicine
- Year
- 2005
- Study design
- Study
- Participants
- 1,500
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1017/s0033291704004106
Topics
Related studies
Study, 2026
What treatments work for PMDD?
Case report, 2023
Can stopping ovulation help severe PMDD when other treatments do not work?
Study, 2022
What are the symptoms, causes, and treatments of PMS and PMDD?
Randomised trial, 2017
Does adding birth control to antidepressants help depression that worsens before your period?
Cohort study, 2010
How do anxiety disorders differ across different life stages?
Randomised trial, 2001
Do changing reproductive hormones disrupt the body's internal clock and cause mood disorders?