Survey study, 2001
Do women with PMDD have other mental health conditions or personality traits?
Most women with PMDD (77%) had experienced other mood or anxiety disorders in their past, compared with only 17% of women without PMDD. Two-thirds of women with PMDD who had children experienced postpartum depression.
What they did
Researchers compared 34 women diagnosed with PMDD to 22 healthy women without severe premenstrual mood changes. They assessed mental health diagnoses and personality traits using standardized diagnostic tools.
What they found
77% of the PMDD group had suffered from a past mood or anxiety disorder compared with 17% of the control group. Two-thirds of women with PMDD who had given birth experienced major depression after childbirth. Women with PMDD had significantly more obsessional personality traits than controls, but personality disorder diagnoses were rare in both groups.
What it means for you
PMDD is strongly linked to other mood and anxiety disorders, especially depression both before and after childbirth. The sample is small (only 34 women with PMDD) and from one location, so these findings may not apply to all women with PMDD.
77%
PMDD group with past mood or anxiety disorder
17%
control group with past mood or anxiety disorder
two-thirds
women with PMDD (who had children) with postpartum depression
About the study
- Original title
- Mood disorder history and personality assessment in premenstrual dysphoric disorder
- Authors
- Critchlow DG, Bond AJ, Wingrove J
- Journal
- The Journal of clinical psychiatry
- Year
- 2001
- Study design
- Survey study
- Participants
- 34
- What was tested
- None. Observational study.
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.4088/jcp.v62n0905
Topics
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