--- title: Do women with severe PMS also have other mental health conditions? description: Some women seeking treatment have mood and behavior changes limited to the premenstrual period, while others have ongoing mental health conditions that worsen url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/characteristics-of-women-seeking-treatment-for-premenstrual-syndrome-1989/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - Do women with severe PMS also have other mental health conditions? Study, 1989 # Do women with severe PMS also have other mental health conditions? Some women seeking treatment have mood and behavior changes limited to the premenstrual period, while others have ongoing mental health conditions that worsen before their period. Most differences between treatment-seeking women and women without symptoms were due to the second group. Moderate study design 86 women with premenstrual mood and behavior changes, 54 with persistent mental health conditions, 61 controls ## What they did Researchers identified and compared three groups of women: 86 who experienced mood and behavior changes only in the premenstrual period, 54 with existing persistent mental health conditions (that worsened premenstrually), and 61 controls with no significant premenstrual changes and no mental health condition. ## What they found When comparing women seeking treatment to the control group, most of the differences were explained by the women with persistent mental health conditions. This allowed researchers to identify that women with true premenstrual dysphoric changes (severe mood and behavior changes limited to the premenstrual period) can be distinguished from those whose existing mental health conditions worsen before their period. ## What it means for you This shows severe PMS exists as its own condition, separate from other mental health problems. Some women thinking they have PMS may actually have other conditions worsening before their period. Better diagnosis helps doctors distinguish these cases. The main limit is this was a one-time comparison, not a long-term study. 86 women with premenstrual mood changes only 54 women with persistent mental health conditions 61 control women ## About the study Original title Characteristics of women seeking treatment for premenstrual syndrome Authors Harrison WM, Endicott J, Nee J et al. Journal Psychosomatics Year 1989 Study design Study Participants 86 Open access Yes Read the paper [doi.org/10.1016/s0033-3182(89)72246-5](https://doi.org/10.1016/s0033-3182(89)72246-5) ## 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/) 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 Cohort study, 2026 What genetic factors are linked to premenstrual symptoms? Systematic review, 2026 How often do mood disorders and PMS or PMDD occur together? Systematic review, 2026 Does vitamin D supplementation help PMS symptoms? Study, 2026 How do women with PMDD process emotions differently in their brains? Systematic review, 2026 Why do some women experience mood changes linked to their menstrual cycle? Systematic review, 2026 How much of PMDD treatment improvement comes from placebo effect? Ask AI about this page Copy prompt ChatGPT ↗ Claude ↗ Perplexity ↗ Google AI Mode ↗ Grok ↗