--- title: What are the experiences of self-harm and suicidal thoughts in women with PMDD? description: Just under half of the women had deliberately harmed themselves during a PMDD crisis. 82% had suicidal thoughts during their luteal phase, and 26% had attempt url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/women-with-premenstrual-dysphoric-disorder-experiences-of-suicidal-thoughts-and-2024/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - What are the experiences of self-harm and suicidal thoughts in women with PMDD? Interview study, 2024 # What are the experiences of self-harm and suicidal thoughts in women with PMDD? Just under half of the women had deliberately harmed themselves during a PMDD crisis. 82% had suicidal thoughts during their luteal phase, and 26% had attempted to end their life. Women reported that diagnosis delays and damaged self-worth worsened their mental health. Moderate study design 3,600 women with PMDD who completed surveys; 14 women interviewed in 2022 ## What they did Online survey from January to March 2020 with 3,600 women with PMDD, followed by semi-structured interviews with 14 women in 2022. Data were analyzed using statistics and thematic analysis. ## What they found Just under half had deliberately harmed themselves during a PMDD crisis. 82% had suicidal thoughts on one or more occasions during their luteal phase. 26% had attempted to end their life. Three main themes emerged: relationships affected by PMDD, increased suicidal experiences from diagnosis delays, and self-worth damaged by PMDD. ## What it means for you Women with PMDD face serious monthly mental health risks including self-harm and suicidal thoughts. Early diagnosis and proper medical support are critical. The main limit is that only 14 women were interviewed in depth, so these themes may not capture all experiences. 3,600 women in survey 82% had suicidal thoughts during luteal phase 26% attempted to end their life ## About the study Original title Women with Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder experiences of suicidal thoughts and behaviours: a mixed methods study Authors Brown D, Smith DM, Osborn E et al. Journal Frontiers in psychiatry Year 2024 Study design Interview study Participants 3,600 What was tested None; observational study of lived experiences Open access Yes Read the paper [doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1442767](https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1442767) Original abstract Background: Women with Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD) experience debilitating psychological symptoms during each luteal phase of their menstrual cycle. Although women's increased risk of suicidal thoughts and attempts to end their lives has been highlighted, little is as yet known about women's own narratives. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the prevalence and the experiences of self-harm, suicidal thoughts and attempts in women with PMDD. Method: In this mixed methods study, women's experiences of living with PMDD were captured via an online survey exploring risk and via semi-structured interviews with questions informed by survey results. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and reflexive thematic analysis. Results: Over 3,600 women completed the survey between January and March 2020 and 14 women were subsequently interviewed in 2022. The survey revealed that just under half of women had deliberately harmed themselves during a PMDD crisis, 82% had suicidal thoughts on one or more occasions during their luteal phase, and 26% of women had attempted to end their own life. Three main themes, which related to suicidal ideation in the context of PMDD, were generated from the interview data: 1) personal relationships and social connections affected by PMDD, 2) the increase in suicidal experiences caused by diagnosis delays and 3) self-worth damaged by PMDD. Conclusion: Women living with PMDD are at high risk of self-harm, suicidal thoughts and attempts to end their lives each month, narratives highlighted the damaging impacts PMDD had on relationships. Risk was increased by delays in appropriate medical support and women reported internalising their experiences as their problem. Reproduced under CC-BY. ## Topics [Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pmdd/)[Low mood and depression](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-depression-mood/)[Suicidality](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-suicidality/)[Relationships and partners](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-relationships/) 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 Systematic review, 2021 Are women with PMS or PMDD more likely to think about or attempt suicide? Cohort study, 2024 Does the menstrual cycle affect daily changes in suicidal thoughts? Cohort study, 2023 Does the menstrual cycle affect how often women have suicidal thoughts? Survey study, 2026 Do teen girls with ADHD have more suicidal thoughts when angry before their period? Survey study, 2026 Do girls who experienced childhood abuse or neglect have higher PMDD symptoms? Survey study, 2023 Does childhood trauma increase the risk of PMDD? Ask AI about this page Copy prompt ChatGPT ↗ Claude ↗ Perplexity ↗ Google AI Mode ↗ Grok ↗