--- title: Do women with a history of depression experience worse menstrual mood changes? description: Yes. Women with depression history are more likely to report PMS (31.3%) and their depression during the cycle is more severe and lasts longer. url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/vulnerability-to-perimenstrual-mood-change-the-relevance-of-a-past-history-of-1994/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - Do women with a history of depression experience worse menstrual mood changes? Survey study, 1994 # Do women with a history of depression experience worse menstrual mood changes? Yes. Women with depression history are more likely to report PMS (31.3%) and their depression during the cycle is more severe and lasts longer. Early or limited evidence 83 women with PMS, 90 with menorrhagia, 50 with dysmenorrhea, 104 controls ## What they did Cross-sectional comparison of depression history in four groups: women with PMS (83 women), menorrhagia or heavy bleeding (90 women), dysmenorrhea or painful periods (50 women), and healthy controls (104 women). ## What they found 31.3 percent of PMS women had been treated for depression, compared to 8.9 percent of menorrhagia women, 5.8 percent of controls, and 22 percent of dysmenorrhea women. Women with depression history had more severe depression in the premenstrual and menstrual phases, and it lasted longer through the cycle. ## What it means for you A history of depression increases both the severity and how long mood problems last during the menstrual cycle. This suggests PMS and depression may share biological causes. Main limit: cross-sectional design, so we cannot prove depression history causes PMS. 31.3% PMS women with depression history 8.9% Menorrhagia women with depression history 5.8% Controls with depression history ## About the study Original title Vulnerability to perimenstrual mood change: the relevance of a past history of depressive disorder Authors Bancroft J, Rennie D, Warner P Journal Psychosomatic medicine Year 1994 Study design Survey study Participants 104 Read the paper [doi.org/10.1097/00006842-199405000-00008](https://doi.org/10.1097/00006842-199405000-00008) ## Topics [Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Menstrual cycle and mood](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-cycle-mood/)[Dysmenorrhea and period pain](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-dysmenorrhea/)[Low mood and depression](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-depression-mood/)[Pain and headache](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-pain/)[SSRIs and antidepressants](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-ssri/)[Major depressive disorder](https://niyora.com/research/topics/comorbidity-major-depression/) 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 Case report, 2023 Does a combination of maca, progesterone, and magnesium help PMDD symptoms? Case report, 2007 Does Fluoxetine taken only during the luteal phase help PMDD in teenagers? Cohort study, 2025 How common is PMS in Chinese teenage girls, and what factors are linked to it? Randomised trial, 2000 Does sertraline improve how women with PMDD feel and function? Study, 2026 Do anxiety and depression get worse before your period if you already have a mental health condition? Study, 2026 What are premenstrual syndrome and premenstrual dysphoric disorder? Ask AI about this page Copy prompt ChatGPT ↗ Claude ↗ Perplexity ↗ Google AI Mode ↗ Grok ↗