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Cohort study, 2010

How common is PMDD in women with bipolar disorder?

About 27% of women with bipolar disorder have a lifetime history of PMDD. When PMDD occurs with bipolar disorder, it is linked to more severe bipolar subtypes and other mental health conditions like postpartum depression and obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Moderate study design 92 women with bipolar disorder types I or II

What they did

Cohort study of 92 women with bipolar disorder (types I or II). Researchers used structured interviews to determine if they met lifetime criteria for PMDD according to DSM-IV and to identify other mental health conditions.

What they found

25 out of 92 women (27.2%) met criteria for PMDD. Those with PMDD had higher rates of Bipolar II (88% vs 60%), Cyclothymia (72% vs 36%), postpartum depression (36% vs 15%), obsessive-compulsive disorder (24% vs 7.5%), and body dysmorphic disorder (24% vs 6%).

What it means for you

PMDD is common in women with bipolar disorder, especially Bipolar II, and linked to more mental health conditions. This suggests a connection between PMDD and bipolar disorder. The study only looked at women already diagnosed with bipolar disorder in one setting, so we cannot determine whether PMDD causes bipolar features or vice versa.

27.2%

Women with PMDD among bipolar patients

25

Women with both bipolar and PMDD

88%

PMDD+ with Bipolar II

About the study

Original title
The impact of premenstrual dysphoric disorder among 92 bipolar patients
Authors
Fornaro M, Perugi G
Journal
European psychiatry : the journal of the Association of European Psychiatrists
Year
2010
Study design
Cohort study
Participants
92

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