Women with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) may be at higher risk for premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), a new study has revealed.
Scientists from Queen Mary University of London gathered online questionnaire answers from over seven hundred women in the UK to find that women who have been clinically diagnosed with ADHD were over three times more likely to meet criteria for PMDD than those without.
PMDD is a serious mental health condition characterised by severe emotional, physical and cognitive symptoms that occur in the days before menstruation. Women who suffer from it can experience depressed mood, fatigue, difficulties concentrating, anxiety and sleeping difficulties. The associated outcomes can also include an increased risk of suicide.
The study, published in the British Journal of Psychiatry, found that women who had high levels of ADHD symptoms and impairment (even those who did not have an official diagnosis from a clinician) were over four times more likely to have PMDD.
The findings from the study suggest that women with ADHD, and especially those with ADHD and depression and or anxiety, may benefit from PMDD screening — even those who don’t have a formal ADHD diagnosis but experience high ADHD symptoms and impairment.
Postdoctoral researcher, Dr Jessica Agnew-Blais, supervised the project alongside lead author Dr Thomas Broughton. Dr Agnew-Blais said, “Because ADHD was historically considered a condition that mainly affected boys, many issues specific to females have been overlooked, including associations between ADHD and times of hormonal change.”
“Our findings emphasise the need to consider issues affecting adult women with ADHD, and more specifically how females with ADHD may be at higher risk for experiencing PMDD,” she added.
Dr Broughton said, “Our findings also suggest that further research is needed to improve understanding of the link between ADHD and times of hormonal change, including the menstrual cycle, and to reduce health inequalities and diagnostic bias in women and girls with ADHD.”
In February 2023, a Premenstrual Disorders Australia survey revealed that over 650,000 Australian women were living with PMDD, though up to 90 per cent of patients were unaware of the condition.
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