Abstract
Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) affects 1.2 to 5% of women of reproductive age. Besides significant suffering and social, occupational, and interpersonal impairment, it has been suggested that this syndrome is associated with other affective disorders, in different reproductive phases, such as pregnancy and the postpartum period. However, the literature on this association is scarce and presents great variability in terms of adopted methodology and mixed results. To analyze the relationship between PMDD and other affective disorders, aiming to contribute to the clarification of whether PMDD can be considered a risk factor for perinatal depression (PND). Following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, we conducted a comprehensive literature search in PubMed, EMBASE, CINAHL, PsycINFO databases. Seven original studies were included. Only one study linked PMDD with depression during pregnancy, with evidence of a positive association between PMDD and PND. This and five other studies show a positive relationship between PMDD and postpartum depression (PPD), assessed in periods ranging from 2 to 4 days to 1 year after birth. Only one study found no significant association between PMDD and PPD, assessed at 4 weeks postpartum. There seems to be a positive and significant association between PMDD and the development of perinatal depression, particularly postpartum depression. This review supports the relevance of health professionals systematically evaluating the presence of premenstrual dysphoric disorder, when monitoring women throughout the perinatal period.
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The authors would like to thank all the authors and publishers of the original studies. A special thanks to Sara Pereira for an initial spell and grammar’s check of the manuscript.
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Daniela Pereira, Ana Rita Pessoa, and Ana Telma Pereira have made substantial contributions to conception and design, revision of the literature searches, assessment of the studies for quality, data extraction, analysis, and interpretation of the data as well as drafting the manuscript. Nuno Madeira and António Macedo revised the manuscript. All authors have approved the final manuscript.
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Highlights
• There is a positive and significant association between PMDD and PPD.
• Results of this review are consistent with the hypothesis launched by the biological investigation of depression in women.
• Screening of PMDD in family planning consultations and/or in the first pregnancy consultation should be recommended.
• More rigorous studies are still needed, namely prospective studies, with clinical samples of women with PMDD.
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Pereira, D., Pessoa, A.R., Madeira, N. et al. Association between premenstrual dysphoric disorder and perinatal depression: a systematic review. Arch Womens Ment Health 25, 61–70 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00737-021-01177-6
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00737-021-01177-6