Cohort study, 2001
Do women with PMDD who have never had depression differ from those who have?
Women with PMDD and no past depression history tend to be more educated and more likely to have experienced relationship breakdown, but are otherwise similar to women with PMDD who have had depression.
What they did
Researchers studied 513 older premenopausal women aged 36-44 using daily symptom tracking to diagnose PMDD. They compared the 14 women with PMDD and no depression history to the 19 women with PMDD and a depression history on education, smoking, marital status, and reproductive history.
What they found
Women with PMDD and no depression history were more educated and had more often experienced marital disruption. There were no clear differences in smoking history or reproductive characteristics between the two groups.
What it means for you
PMDD may exist as a distinct condition separate from depression in some women, particularly those with higher education and relationship stress. The study is very small (33 women total) and limited to one age group (36-44), so findings may not apply to younger women or other populations.
33
Women with PMDD in the study
19
With depression history
14
Without depression history
About the study
- Original title
- Characteristics of women with premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) who did or did not report history of depression: a preliminary report from the Harvard Study of Moods and Cycles
- Authors
- Soares CN, Cohen LS, Otto MW et al.
- Journal
- Journal of women's health & gender-based medicine
- Year
- 2001
- Study design
- Cohort study
- Participants
- 19
- What was tested
- None
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1089/152460901753285778
Topics
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