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Published on: May 19, 2015
Premenstrual dysphoric disorder and suicide attempts as a correlation among women in reproductive age
Narges Shams-Alizadeh1, Azad Maroufi1, Mahsa Rashidi2
1Neurosciences Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences, Sanandaj, Iran.
Aim:
Women likely attempt suicide more than men and sex hormones or menstrual cycle may be associated with female suicide attempts. There are debates regarding the correlation of premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) and suicidal behaviors. The objective of this study was to examine if PMDD was associated with suicidal attempts as sex hormones are contributed in its pathogenesis.
Methods:
As a case-control study 120 fertile woman with regular menstrual cycles attempting suicide and admitted to a general hospital were compared with a matched control group of 120 women selected among those accompanying other patients in other wards. Psychiatric interview based on DSM-5 criteria was conducted for diagnosing PMDD.
Results:
There was a significantly higher frequency of PMDD in suicide attempters than in the controls (P = 0.001); while no remarkable difference was seen in frequency of premenstrual syndrome (PMS) between the two groups (P = 0.294) and attempting suicide was not related to the menstrual cycle (P = 0.52).
Conclusions:
This study suggests that PMDD may be associated with suicidal attempts, however it is not related to menstrual cycle. No relationship was found between PMS and suicidal acts.
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