--- title: Do women with premenstrual disorders take more sick leave and have higher unemployment? description: Yes. Women with premenstrual disorders have 40% higher risk of taking sick leave and 27% higher risk of unemployment compared to women without the disorder. T url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/premenstrual-disorders-and-risk-of-sick-leave-and-unemployment-a-prospective-2025/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - Do women with premenstrual disorders take more sick leave and have higher unemployment? Cohort study, 2025 # Do women with premenstrual disorders take more sick leave and have higher unemployment? Yes. Women with premenstrual disorders have 40% higher risk of taking sick leave and 27% higher risk of unemployment compared to women without the disorder. The risk is even higher for longer absences and depression-related leave. Strong study design 15,857 employed women aged 15-60 in Sweden, average age 32.5 years. ## What they did Prospective cohort study of 15,857 Swedish women aged 15-60 who were employed at baseline. Premenstrual disorder was assessed using clinical diagnoses and questionnaires. Sick leave and unemployment were tracked through national registers over a median of 9.17 years. ## What they found 2,585 (16.3%) of the women had probable premenstrual disorders. Over follow-up, women with premenstrual disorders had a 40% higher risk of taking at least one sick leave. They also had 27% higher risk of unemployment. For sick leave lasting 90 days or longer, the risk was 69% higher. For depression-related sick leave, the risk was 41% higher. ## What it means for you Premenstrual disorders have significant long-term effects on women's ability to work and economic security. This suggests clinicians should recognize that premenstrual disorders can substantially impact work capacity. Main limitation: premenstrual disorder was only assessed once at baseline, not tracked throughout the follow-up period. 40% Higher risk of sick leave with premenstrual disorder 69% Higher risk of extended sick leave (≥90 days) 9.17 years Median follow-up ## About the study Original title Premenstrual disorders and risk of sick leave and unemployment: a prospective cohort study of 15 857 women in Sweden Authors Yu H, Yang Y, Hysaj E et al. Journal BMJ mental health Year 2025 Study design Cohort study Participants 15,857 Open access Yes Read the paper [doi.org/10.1136/bmjment-2025-301550](https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjment-2025-301550) Original abstract Background: Premenstrual disorders (PMDs) are prevalent and impair women's quality of life, but their long-term influence on work capacity is unclear. Understanding the association between PMDs and subsequent sick leave and unemployment could inform interventions and policies. Objective: We hypothesised that women with PMDs have an increased risk of future sick leave and unemployment compared with those without PMDs. Methods: We conducted a prospective cohort study involving 15 857 women aged 15-60 years who were employed at baseline in the LifeGene Study, with linkage to population and health registers in Sweden. PMDs were identified from clinical diagnoses and symptom questionnaires; sick leave and unemployment data were obtained from national registers. Poisson regression estimated incidence rate ratios (IRRs) for sick leave and unemployment in women with versus without PMDs. Findings: A total of 2585 (16.3%) women (mean age 32.5 years) had probable PMDs. Over a median 9.17-year follow-up, 6741 (42.5%) and 1485 (9.4%) experienced at least one sick leave or unemployment, respectively. Compared with women without PMDs, those with PMDs had a 40% higher risk of sick leave (IRR 1.40, 95% CI 1.31 to 1.49) and a 27% higher risk of unemployment (IRR 1.27, 95% CI 1.10 to 1.46). Risk elevations were pronounced for sick leave≥90 days (IRR 1.69, 95% CI 1.50 to 1.91) and depression-related sick leave (IRR 1.41, 95% CI 1.27 to 1.56). Discussion: Women with PMDs are at increased risk of sick leave and unemployment, suggesting significant long-term socioeconomic burden associated with PMDs. Clinical implications: This study underscores the need for greater awareness of PMDs in clinical practice. Healthcare providers should recognise the potential impairment at work associated with PMDs, especially in women with recurrent symptoms or comorbidities like anxiety or depression. Reproduced under CC-BY. ## Topics [Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Quality of life and daily functioning](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-quality-of-life/)[Work and productivity](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-work/)[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 Systematic review, 2026 Do mindfulness and relaxation techniques help with PMS symptoms? Systematic review, 2025 How common are PMS, PMDD, and painful periods in nursing students, and do they affect their schooling? Review, 2019 What is the current evidence for diagnosing and treating PMDD, especially in Indian women? Survey study, 2026 Are menstrual characteristics linked to depression and anxiety in teenage girls? Systematic review, 2026 Do digital tools and apps help reduce PMS and PMDD symptoms? Randomised trial, 2026 Does online muscle relaxation training or lifestyle changes reduce PMS symptoms and improve work performance? Ask AI about this page Copy prompt ChatGPT ↗ Claude ↗ Perplexity ↗ Google AI Mode ↗ Grok ↗