Relationship between premenstrual syndrome and postnatal depression: An exploratory study

Abstract

The present study examined the relationship between postnatal depression (PND) and premenstrual syndrome, using the Menstrual Distress Questionnaire (MDQ) and the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS). Fifty-one mothers participated in the study. A nondepressed group consisted of 25 mothers with no reported PND symptoms, while a depressed group comprised 26 mothers with clearly diagnosed PND symptomatology. The present findings provide further evidence of an association between premenstrual syndrome and the later development of postnatal depression, raising the possibility of predicting subsequent PND from pre-existing premenstrual syndrome (PMS).