Cohort study, 1997
Are premenstrual mood changes linked to depression and anxiety during pregnancy and after childbirth?
Yes. Women with premenstrual irritability before pregnancy had higher depression scores throughout pregnancy and after birth, plus greater anxiety about pregnancy, delivery, and their babies.
What they did
A prospective questionnaire survey of 1,329 women. Researchers asked about premenstrual mood changes before pregnancy and then tracked depression and anxiety at 6 time points: early pregnancy, middle pregnancy, late pregnancy, 5 days after birth, 1 month after birth, and 6 months after birth.
What they found
Women with premenstrual mood changes (irritability) before pregnancy showed significantly higher depression scores on the Zung's Self-rating Depression Scale throughout all pregnancy and postpartum time points compared to women without premenstrual irritability. In addition, women with premenstrual irritability had greater anxiety about pregnancy and delivery, were more reluctant to accept mother roles, and felt their babies were more vulnerable.
What it means for you
Premenstrual mood symptoms may signal a general pattern of mood instability that continues and affects mental health during pregnancy and after birth. This suggests premenstrual irritability is linked to broader mood patterns across life. However, this is an observational study, so we cannot say that premenstrual symptoms directly cause perinatal depression.
1,329
Number of women studied
6
Assessment time points
About the study
- Original title
- Premenstrual mood changes and maternal mental health in pregnancy and the postpartum period
- Authors
- Sugawara M, Toda MA, Shima S et al.
- Journal
- Journal of clinical psychology
- Year
- 1997
- Study design
- Cohort study
- Participants
- 1,329
- What was tested
- None (observational)
Topics
Related studies
Review, 2003
How do menstrual cycle hormones affect the brain and cause mood disorders like PMDD?
Randomised trial, 2017
Does Sepranolone reduce symptoms of severe premenstrual syndrome (PMDD)?
Case-control study, 2026
What role do brain chemicals called neurosteroids play in PMDD?
Randomised trial, 2023
Does a smartphone app for heart rate variability biofeedback reduce premenstrual and depressive symptoms?
Cohort study, 2010
How do anxiety disorders differ across different life stages?
Cohort study, 2025
How common is PMS in Chinese teenage girls, and what factors are linked to it?