Systematic review, 2022
Do mental health disorders get worse during the menstrual cycle?
Yes, several mental health disorders like depression, panic attacks, eating disorders and borderline personality disorder clearly worsen around menstruation. The evidence is less clear for anxiety or bipolar disorder.
What they did
They searched four databases and reviewed 35 studies that tracked mental health symptoms across the menstrual cycle in prospective studies. The studies were too different in design to combine the results.
What they found
Clear evidence of symptom exacerbation during the perimenstrual phase for psychotic disorders, panic disorder, eating disorders, depression and borderline personality disorder. Less consistent evidence was found for anxiety, and a different pattern of symptom exacerbation was observed in bipolar disorder.
What it means for you
Hormonal changes during the menstrual cycle may make psychiatric symptoms worse in women who are sensitive to hormone fluctuations. The main limitation is that the 35 studies varied considerably in their methods.
35
studies met inclusion criteria
629
studies identified in database search
5
mental health conditions with clear evidence of worsening
About the study
- Original title
- Premenstrual exacerbation of mental health disorders: a systematic review of prospective studies
- Authors
- Nolan LN, Hughes L
- Journal
- Archives of women's mental health
- Year
- 2022
- Study design
- Systematic review
- Open access
- Yes
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1007/s00737-022-01246-4
Topics
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