--- title: Does having PMS or PMDD before pregnancy increase the risk of depression during and after pregnancy? description: Yes. Women with PMS or PMDD before pregnancy had a higher risk of depression during pregnancy and in the first month after birth. url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/association-of-preconception-premenstrual-disorders-with-perinatal-depression-an-2024/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - Does having PMS or PMDD before pregnancy increase the risk of depression during and after pregnancy? Survey study, 2024 # Does having PMS or PMDD before pregnancy increase the risk of depression during and after pregnancy? Yes. Women with PMS or PMDD before pregnancy had a higher risk of depression during pregnancy and in the first month after birth. Moderate study design 781 pregnant women at a Japanese hospital, 53 of whom had PMS or PMDD before pregnancy ## What they did 781 pregnant women at one Japanese hospital were asked about PMS or PMDD symptoms they had before they got pregnant. Doctors measured depression using a screening tool during pregnancy and one month after birth. ## What they found 53 women had PMS or PMDD before pregnancy. Women with preconception PMS or PMDD were more likely to have high depression scores during pregnancy and one month after birth than women without it. ## What it means for you Women with PMS or PMDD before getting pregnant are at higher risk of depression during pregnancy and after birth. Doctors should ask about PMS or PMDD at early pregnancy appointments and provide early mental health support to women at risk. The main limit is this was one hospital in Japan, so results may differ elsewhere. 781 pregnant women studied 53 women with preconception PMS or PMDD ## About the study Original title Association of preconception premenstrual disorders with perinatal depression: an analysis of the perinatal clinical database of a single Japanese institution Authors Ohsuga T, Egawa M, Tsuyuki K et al. Journal BioPsychoSocial medicine Year 2024 Study design Survey study Participants 781 What was tested None. This was an observational study. Open access Yes Read the paper [doi.org/10.1186/s13030-024-00323-7](https://doi.org/10.1186/s13030-024-00323-7) Original abstract Background: Recent studies have identified premenstrual disorders (PMDs) as a risk factor for postpartum depression. However, routine screening for preconception PMDs is not yet common in Japan. This study investigated the association between preconception PMDs and perinatal depression in a single tertiary care setting. Methods: We analyzed data from pregnant women who gave birth at Kyoto University Hospital between April 2020 and October 2023. The Premenstrual Symptoms Screening Tool was administered at the first postconception visit to retrospectively assess PMD status before the current pregnancy. The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) was administered during pregnancy and one month postpartum as a prospective measure of perinatal depression. EPDS cutoff values were set at 12/13 during pregnancy and 8/9 at one month postpartum. Results: Of the 781 women analyzed, 53 had preconception PMD. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses revealed that preconception PMD was associated with an EPDS score of ≥ 13 during pregnancy, with a crude odds ratio (OR) of 5.78 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.70-11.75) and an adjusted OR of 3.71 (95% CI: 1.54-8.35). For an EPDS score of ≥ 9 at 1 month postpartum, the crude OR was 3.36 (95% CI: 1.79-6.12) and the adjusted OR was 2.16 (95% CI: 1.04-4.35). Conclusions: Our findings indicate that preconception PMDs are a significant risk factor for both depression during pregnancy and postpartum depression. These results support the implementation of preconception PMD screening during antenatal checkups as a preventive measure and to identify women in need of early mental health care. Reproduced under CC-BY. ## Topics [Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pmdd/)[Low mood and depression](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-depression-mood/)[Pregnancy and postpartum](https://niyora.com/research/topics/comorbidity-postpartum/) 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, 2026 Why do some women experience mood changes linked to their menstrual cycle? Cohort study, 2025 Do women with a history of PMS or PMDD have more depression during pregnancy and after birth? Case-control study, 2024 Do steroid hormone levels change differently across the menstrual cycle in women with PMDD? Review, 2023 What treatments help mental and physical health problems linked to the menstrual cycle? Cohort study, 2023 Is PMDD a valid medical diagnosis? Survey study, 2022 What causes PMS and PMDD and what new treatments are being studied? Ask AI about this page Copy prompt ChatGPT ↗ Claude ↗ Perplexity ↗ Google AI Mode ↗ Grok ↗