---
title: Do sex hormones cause mood disorders in women at certain times of the cycle?
description: Evidence suggests women with reproductive mood disorders like PMDD have abnormal sensitivity to normal hormone changes rather than abnormal hormone levels. No
url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/is-there-a-role-for-reproductive-steroids-in-the-etiology-and-treatment-of-2018/
---

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- Do sex hormones cause mood disorders in women at certain times of the cycle?

Review, 2018

# Do sex hormones cause mood disorders in women at certain times of the cycle?

Evidence suggests women with reproductive mood disorders like PMDD have abnormal sensitivity to normal hormone changes rather than abnormal hormone levels. Normal hormone fluctuations trigger mood problems in some women but not others.

 Moderate study design

Women with premenstrual dysphoric disorder, depression after childbirth, and depression during menopause

## What they did

This was a review of existing scientific evidence about how reproductive hormones relate to mood disorders including premenstrual dysphoric disorder, depression after childbirth, and depression during menopause.

## What they found

Reproductive steroids regulate all the systems involved in mood disorders. Women with mood disorders linked to reproductive cycles show abnormal emotional responses to normal changes in reproductive steroids, rather than having abnormal hormone levels. This pattern occurs consistently across premenstrual dysphoric disorder, perinatal depression, and perimenopausal depression.

## What it means for you

Women with reproductive mood disorders may have brains that respond unusually to normal hormone changes rather than problems with hormone production itself. A limitation is that this is a review synthesizing evidence across multiple types of mood disorders.

## About the study

Original title Is there a role for reproductive steroids in the etiology and treatment of affective disorders? Authors Rubinow DR, Schmidt PJ Journal Dialogues in clinical neuroscience Year 2018 Study design Review What was tested Hormone treatment (reviewed evidence) Open access Yes Read the paper [doi.org/10.31887/dcns.2018.20.3/drubinow](https://doi.org/10.31887/dcns.2018.20.3/drubinow)

## Topics

[Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pmdd/)[Reproductive hormone sensitivity](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-hormone-sensitivity/)[Low mood and depression](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-depression-mood/)[Major depressive disorder](https://niyora.com/research/topics/comorbidity-major-depression/)[Work and productivity](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-work/)

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## Related studies

Systematic review, 2021

Are there hormone changes that could explain PMDD or depression in women?

Survey study, 2026

Are women who feel mood changes from birth control pills at higher risk for PMDD and postpartum depression?

Review, 2026

Do PMDD, postpartum depression and perimenopausal depression have the same genetic causes?

Review, 2012

Is depression linked to hormonal changes during the menstrual cycle, pregnancy, and menopause?

Systematic review, 2026

How often do mood disorders and PMS or PMDD occur together?

Systematic review, 2026

Why do some women experience mood changes linked to their menstrual cycle?

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