Cohort study, 2023
Are premenstrual disorders linked to depression, anxiety, and self-harm in teenage girls?
Yes. Girls with premenstrual disorders have 4 to 7 times higher rates of depression, anxiety, self-injury, and suicide risk compared to boys and girls without the disorder. This suggests premenstrual disorders may cause much of the difference in mental health problems between teenage boys and girls.
What they did
Cross-sectional survey of 21,239 people aged 10-19 in China. Researchers asked about premenstrual disorders, depression, anxiety, history of self-injury, and suicide risk using standard questionnaires.
What they found
Girls with premenstrual disorders had 4.76 times higher depression, 3.86 times higher anxiety, 4.70 times higher self-injury rates, and 7.49 times higher suicide risk. Girls without premenstrual disorders had rates similar to boys.
What it means for you
Premenstrual disorders appear to be strongly linked to mental health problems in teenage girls. A main limitation is that girls with premenstrual disorders may have reported higher depression and anxiety symptoms partly because these symptoms naturally overlap with PMS symptoms.
4.76
times higher depression in girls with premenstrual disorders
7.49
times higher suicide risk in girls with premenstrual disorders
10,563
girls studied
About the study
- Original title
- Premenstrual disorders and gender differences in adolescent mental health
- Authors
- Li Y, Jiang J, Halldorsdottir T et al.
- Journal
- Journal of affective disorders
- Year
- 2023
- Study design
- Cohort study
- What was tested
- None - this was an observational study
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2023.08.009
Topics
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