Survey study, 2017
Are mental health problems linked to irregular periods in teenage girls?
Yes. Girls with high stress are 1.88 times more likely to have irregular periods, those with depression are 2.01 times more likely, and those receiving counseling are 2.92 times more likely.
What they did
Researchers surveyed 808 Korean teenage girls aged 12-18 from a national health survey in 2010-2012. Girls reported on stress levels, depression, suicidal thoughts, counseling use, and period regularity. Researchers looked for connections between mental health and period regularity.
What they found
Girls with high stress levels were 1.88 times more likely to have irregular periods. Girls with depression were 2.01 times more likely. Girls receiving psychological counseling were 2.92 times more likely. The more mental health problems a girl had, the higher her risk of irregular periods. Suicidal thoughts were not linked to irregular periods.
What it means for you
Mental health and period regularity are connected in teenage girls. The main limits are that girls reported on their own periods and mental health, which may not be completely accurate, and this is from one country.
808
girls studied
1.88x
higher risk with high stress
2.92x
higher risk with counseling use
About the study
- Original title
- The association between mental health problems and menstrual cycle irregularity among adolescent Korean girls
- Authors
- Yu M, Han K, Nam GE
- Journal
- Journal of affective disorders
- Year
- 2017
- Study design
- Survey study
- Participants
- 808
- What was tested
- None, observational study.
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2016.11.036
Topics
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