Does childhood trauma increase the risk for PMS, PMDD, and related mood disorders?

Purpose of review: Growing evidence suggests that adverse childhood experiences (ACE) increase the risk for reproductive mood disorders (RMD), i.e. premenstrual syndrome, premenstrual dysphoric disorder, postpartum and perimenopausal depression, and might be associated with symptom severity in these disorders. However, evidence for the specific impact of ACE subtypes remains scarce. This review investigates whether certain ACE subtypes are more prevalent among women with RMDs, whether women exposed to ACE have a higher risk to develop such disorders and if the degree of exposure is associated with the symptom severity. Recent findings: We conducted a literature search across electronic data bases and reviewed a final selection of 16 studies that differentiated between ACE subtypes. Results: The findings indicate that emotional abuse tends to be the subtype most clearly associated with these disorders. While emotional abuse was consistently linked to adverse outcomes, the complexities of ACE co-occurrence and the potential differing impacts of other subtypes such as different forms of abuse and neglect are underscored. The review highlights the variability in study populations, methodologies, and assessment tools. The interplay between hormonal fluctuations and emotional dysregulation is discussed as potential mediators in the development of RMDs, suggesting that emotional abuse may exacerbate sensitivity to hormonal changes. Future research is called for to clarify subtype-specific mechanisms, age-related effects, and genetic predispositions to hormonal sensitivity following ACE. Overall, this article contributes to the understanding of how ACE subtypes intersect with the etiology of RMDs in women, emphasizing the need for tailored approaches in research and clinical interventions.

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