Association between premenstrual dysphoric disorder and perinatal depression: a systematic review.
Level 3 - non-randomized controlled study
Systematic review of observational studies
PubMed 34436653 · doi:10.1007/s00737-021-01177-6
What was done
Following PRISMA guidelines, the authors searched PubMed, EMBASE, CINAHL, and PsycINFO to analyze the association between premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) and perinatal depression (PND), covering pregnancy and the postpartum period. Seven original studies were included.
What was found
No quantitative pooled effect sizes or participant counts are reported in the abstract. One study evaluated depression during pregnancy and found a positive association with PMDD. Six studies reported a positive relationship between PMDD and postpartum depression assessed across time points from 2 to 4 days up to 1 year postpartum. One study found no significant association between PMDD and postpartum depression at 4 weeks postpartum.
Why it matters
The findings suggest a shared vulnerability across reproductive phases, indicating that a history of PMDD may serve as an indicator for increased risk of postpartum depression.
Limits
Only seven original studies were identified, with notable methodological variability and heterogeneous outcome assessment timing ranging from days to a year. Only a single study evaluated depression during pregnancy. The abstract reports no effect sizes, confidence intervals, total sample size, or formal meta-analytic pooling.
Cited by
- supports A history of anxiety, PTSD, depression, or premenstrual dysphoric disorder increases the risk of developing postpartum depression.