Survey study, 2026
Among women with bipolar I disorder, who is more likely to also have PMDD?
About one-third (36.5%) of women with bipolar I disorder have PMDD. Those at higher risk have seasonal mood patterns, a history of suicide attempts, and a family history of mental illness.
What they did
Cross-sectional study of 85 premenopausal women aged 18-45 with bipolar I disorder who were not currently in an active mood episode. They completed multiple standardized assessments for bipolar disorder and PMDD.
What they found
36.5% met the threshold for PMDD. Average age was 30.68 years. Both bipolar disorder and PMDD typically started around age 21-22 years. Women with both conditions had earlier bipolar onset, depressive episodes when bipolar disorder started, and more atypical bipolar features. Factors associated with increased likelihood of PMDD included global seasonality score, lifetime suicide attempt, and family history of psychiatric illness. History of pregnancy was associated with lower likelihood of PMDD.
What it means for you
Women with bipolar I disorder face high risk of also having PMDD (about 1 in 3). Seasonal mood patterns and past suicide attempts are warning signs that a woman might have both conditions. This helps doctors know who should be screened. The main limit is that this is one study in one location, so results may not apply to women with bipolar disorder in other countries.
85
women with bipolar I disorder
36.5%
met threshold for PMDD
30.68
average age of participants
About the study
- Original title
- Profile and predictors of premenstrual dysphoric disorder in women with bipolar I disorder: An exploratory study from India
- Authors
- Tina Khwairakpam, Pratap Sharan, Raman Deep et al.
- Journal
- Industrial Psychiatry Journal
- Year
- 2026
- Study design
- Survey study
- Participants
- 85
- Open access
- Yes
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.4103/ipj.ipj_467_25
Topics
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