Study summary
Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD) is a condition that affects some people who menstruate. Symptoms usually appear in the one to two weeks before a period and improve once the period begins. People with PMDD can experience strong emotional and physical symptoms. These can include very low mood, irritability, anxiety, mood swings, difficulty concentrating, tiredness, and problems sleeping. Some people also have physical symptoms such as headaches, bloating, or joint and muscle pain. PMDD can have a major impact on daily life, relationships, work, or school. Despite this, there are still large gaps in our understanding of PMDD.
Our aim is to investigate how PMDD symptoms change across the menstrual cycle and what factors may affect symptoms. These factors may include a person’s living environment (for example where they live and who they live with or whether they work or study), other health or mental health conditions, and their overall health and wellbeing.
To study this, we will collect information from short daily questionnaires and from wearable devices. These devices can give useful information about things like physical activity, sleep, heart rate and daily activity patterns. This study will use a new way of studying PMDD using smartphones and digital health data (information from apps and devices, like sleep and activity levels). Participants will track their symptoms using short questionnaires on their phones for about two menstrual cycles (around 8–10 weeks). At the end of the study, participants may also choose to share information from wearable devices, such as sleep, physical activity, and heart rate. This type of data collection is convenient for participants and allows researchers to see how symptoms change day by day.
The results will help researchers design larger studies and improve understanding of PMDD. In the long term, this research could lead to better treatments and support for people affected by this condition.