New research links depression to more painful periods

Women are two times more likely than men to suffer from depression, particularly during their reproductive years. Previous research, meanwhile, has established a correlation between painful periods and depression.

However, to date, there has been very little research examining the underlying genetics involved and the relationship between mood and painful periods. For example, does one cause the other, and if so, which causes which? In general, people tend to imagine that physical pain leads to depression, but this may not be the case for period pain.

In a new study published in Briefings in Bioinformatics journal, Chinese and British researchers identified the genes associated with depression and painful periods in order to understand the relationship between them. The researchers pulled data from previous genome studies, examining hundreds of thousands of people of European descent and thousands of people of Asian descent. They also examined the impacts of mediating factors such as sleeplessness, anorexia, body mass index (BMI), endometriosis, and ibuprofen use on depression and period pain.

The researchers found that, surprisingly, the genes involved with having depression may increase the risk of having genes associated with painful periods. But the reverse is not true—severe period pain does not increase the risk of depression.

In addition, they also found that lack of sleep could exacerbate period pain. “Addressing sleep issues may therefore be crucial in managing both conditions,” Shuhe Liu, lead author of the study and a nano-technology researcher at Beijing Normal University, told the American Association for the Advancement of Science. “However, more research is required to understand the intricate links between these factors.”

As such, the researchers suggest that clinicians should also consider mental health screenings for people who suffer from period pain.