Mood Changes During the Cycle and Postnatal Period in Women with ADHD

Rationale

A preliminary questionnaire study among 200 women attending an ADHD-women conference, pointed at an increased prevalence of complaints of premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) in 62%.

Objective

The present study aimed to investigate the prevalence of symptoms of PMDD and of postnatal depression in women diagnosed with ADHD at an outpatient specialised adult ADHD clinic, PsyQ, in the Netherlands.

Methods

Two hundred and nine women with a DSM-IV TR diagnosis of ADHD completed a selfreport questionnaire with PMDD items from the Neuropsychiatric Interview Plus (MINI Plus), and eighty five women completed the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS; cutoff > 10).

Results

Prevalence rates were compared with studies using similar methodology among women from the general population. Results show that an indication of PMDD was increased in women with ADHD (46% versus 3-8%) (Halbreich ea 2003). Regarding severity, 70% had 6 or more symptoms of PMDD (range 0-13). In addition, of the 85 women with children, 58% reported postnatal depressive complaints, versus 13-19% in the general population (Gavin ea, 2005).

Conclusions

The increased prevalence of symptoms of PMDD and Postnatal Depression in women with ADHD has important clinical consequences, especially for better recognition and treatment. It also rises questions about the increased vulnerability of women with ADHD for hormonal mood changes during the the lifetime.