Premenstrual mood changes and maternal mental health in pregnancy and the postpartum period

Abstract

To investigate the relationship between premenstrual mood changes and maternal mental health in the perinatal period, a prospective questionnaire survey of 1,329 women was carried out. Women with a premenstrual mood changes (irritability) before pregnancy showed significantly higher Zung's Self-rating Depression Scale (SDS) scores than those without it, throughout pregnancy and the postpartum period (6 time points: early, middle, and late pregnancy, 5 days, 1 month, and 6 months after childbirth). In addition, women with premenstrual irritability had greater anxiety about pregnancy and delivery, were more reluctant to accept mother roles, and felt their babies (fetuses or neonates) were more vulnerable. These findings suggest that premenstrual mood change is correlated with unstable mental health throughout the perinatal period.

The relationship between women’s attachment style and perinatal mood disturbance: implications for screening and treatment

“…Improving care for perinatal mood disorders also depends on more effective risk prediction. Risk factors for depression during pregnancy include premenstrual mood changes (Sugawara et al 1997) a history of affective illness, marital dissatisfaction, poor social support, recent stressful events, lower education, younger age, and unwanted pregnancy (Gotlib et al 1989;O'Hara 1986). Risk factors for postpartum depression include: previous depression, anxiety and depressive symptoms during pregnancy, stressful recent life events, lack of social support, and low self esteem (Blackmore et al 2006;Da Costa et al 2000;O'Hara et al 1991).…”

Premenstrual syndrome and dysphoric disorder as risk factors for postpartum depression

“…Sugawara and colleagues investigated depressive symptoms in early, middle and late pregnancy as well as five days, one month and six months postpartum, and retrospective reports on premenstrual symptoms prior to the pregnancy were collected in 1329 women. According to their findings, ante‐ and postpartum depressive symptoms were highly associated with premenstrual distress; however, the data concerning premenstrual distress were based on one single question, possibly resulting in an overestimation of prevalence rates and certainly precluding the possibility to differentiate between PMS and PMDD . Bloch and colleagues also demonstrated that women with PMDD have an increased risk of developing postpartum blues.…”

Chinese version of Daily Record of Severity of Problems: reliability and validity

“…The Premenstrual Tension Syndrome Self-Rating (PMTS-SR) scale is a 36-item questionnaire comprised the core PMS symptoms. It has been used to measure premenstrual symptom severity and response to treatment in several clinical trials and prevalence studies (Condon 1993, Hahn et al 1995, Steiner et al 1995, Sugawara et al 1997, Gerhardsen et al 2008. The core symptomatology of the PMTS includes irritability, dysphoria, restlessness, tension, and emotional lability.…”