Cohort study, 1988
Do anxiety and depression relate to menstrual symptoms in healthy women?
Yes, there was an association between anxiety and depression scores and menstrual symptoms. Nearly half of the women reported menstrual symptoms. However, this does not prove whether mood causes symptoms, symptoms cause mood, or both stem from another cause.
What they did
As part of a larger longitudinal study, 82 healthy female first-year medical students reported self-rated anxiety and depression scores and menstrual symptoms. The researchers examined whether symptoms were associated with mood scores.
What they found
Nearly half of the 82 women reported frequent menstrual symptoms that caused discomfort but did not interfere with their academic performance. The data showed an association between anxiety and depression scores and certain self-reported menstrual symptoms.
What it means for you
In this group of young, healthy women, mood and menstrual symptoms appear linked. However, the study cannot determine which causes which or whether both are caused by something else. This is correlation, not causation. More research is needed to understand this relationship in healthy women.
82
medical students
Nearly half
reported symptoms
No interference
academic performance
About the study
- Original title
- Anxiety, depression, and menstrual symptoms among freshman medical students
- Authors
- Sherry S, Notman MT, Nadelson CC et al.
- Journal
- The Journal of clinical psychiatry
- Year
- 1988
- Study design
- Cohort study
- What was tested
- None; observational study measuring anxiety, depression, and menstrual symptoms
- Read the paper
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/3198581/
Topics
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