Heavy and painful menstrual periods and their relationship with depressive symptoms across the life course

There is growing recognition amongst the media, policy makers and medical researchers that menstrual health is a critical issue for women and society. Heavy menstrual bleeding (HMB) and menstrual pain (MP) can have a significant negative impact on financial, social, physical, and mental wellbeing, and individuals with HMB/MP are at an elevated risk of depressive symptoms.

Identifying the causes of, treating, and managing HMB/MP is a global health priority, but research and clinical practice are lagging behind public awareness and there are substantial knowledge gaps.

This project addresses gaps in this under-recognised, under-resourced and under-researched area of clinical need by bringing together the only cohort studies globally that have collected HMB and MP data. By harnessing existing, rich, longitudinal, and genetic data from these cohorts, we will provide evidence to inform better ways to predict, prevent and manage HMB/MP and reduce negative relationships with depressive symptoms over the life course.