Not yet recruitingNAINTERVENTIONAL

Evaluating the Impact of Psychoeducation and Sleep-informed Workshop Targeting Sleep Concerns in Women and Individuals With Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder

This study is investigating a new, short workshop designed to help women who experience severe premenstrual symptoms or PMDD, particularly those with sleep difficulties. PMDD causes challenging mood, physical, and sleep problems before periods. While medicines can help, some people experience side effects, don't find them effective, or prefer approaches without medication. Since sleep problems are common in PMDD and can worsen mood, this workshop focuses on understanding and improving sleep. It aims to see if this type of sleep-focused learning, which has helped with other mood issues, could be useful for PMDD. The goal is to see if it's practical, well-received, and helpful, paving the way for future research and better care.

At a glance

Status

Not yet recruiting

Phase

Sponsor

St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton

Enrolment target

Start

01 Jun 2026

Estimated completion

01 Dec 2027

Sleep Disturbances PMDD PMS

What is this study about?

This study is about understanding how a special workshop can help women and individuals who experience a condition called Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder, or PMDD. PMDD is a serious form of PMS where emotional, thinking, physical, and sleep problems become very difficult in the days leading up to a period, and then get better once the period starts. It's a challenging condition that affects many aspects of daily life.

While there are medications available to help with PMDD, some people either don't find them effective, experience unpleasant side effects, or simply prefer to manage their symptoms without medication. We know that sleep problems are very common for individuals with PMDD, and these sleep troubles can make mood swings, emotional control, and daily activities even harder.

In other situations, like with anxiety or depression, learning about sleep and using certain techniques (like cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia) has been shown to be really helpful. However, these kinds of sleep-focused approaches haven't been studied much for PMDD. This project aims to see if a short workshop, specifically designed to teach about sleep and good sleep habits for people with PMDD or severe premenstrual symptoms, could be a good idea. We want to find out if it's easy to take part in, if people like it, and if it might make a positive difference. The information we gather will help us plan bigger studies in the future and hopefully lead to better ways to support individuals with PMDD.

Key takeaways

This study is for women with significant premenstrual symptoms or PMDD.
It tests a workshop focused on improving sleep.
Aims to help with mood and daily coping without, or alongside, medication.
Participation involves online workshops and daily questionnaires.
The goal is to find better ways to support PMDD sufferers in the future.

Who may be eligible?

To join this study, you need to be 16 years old or over and identify as female. You must have severe premenstrual symptoms or PMDD, which will be checked using a special screening tool. You also need to be experiencing sleep difficulties, with a specific score on a sleep questionnaire, and have regular monthly periods, typically lasting between 25 and 35 days.

If you're taking medication for your mood or using oral contraceptives, you might still be able to join if your medication has been stable (same dose and type) for at least 8 weeks before the study starts and stays stable throughout. You also need to speak and understand English fluently, with at least a Year 8 reading level, and have a smartphone or tablet with a reliable internet connection for daily online questions.

Unfortunately, you wouldn't be able to join if you have certain conditions, such as severe difficulties with thinking or understanding, schizophrenia, or current problems with alcohol or drug use. Also, if you have any unstable medical conditions that could affect your health during the study, you wouldn't be able to take part.

Could this study suit you?

Answer these quick questions to see if you may be eligible. This is a guide only — the research team makes the final call.

Are you 16 years old or older?
Do you have severe premenstrual symptoms or PMDD?
Are you experiencing sleep difficulties?
Do you have a regular menstrual cycle (periods roughly every 25-35 days)?
Do you have a smartphone/tablet with internet access?
Can you understand written English at about a Year 8 level?

Answer every question to see your result.

What does participation involve?

If you join this study, you'll be taking part in a brief workshop that focuses on improving sleep. This workshop will teach you about sleep and give you tools to help manage sleep problems. You'll also be asked to complete daily questionnaires using your smartphone or tablet to track your symptoms and sleep throughout the study. We expect this will involve regular, brief online check-ins. The total duration of your involvement will be explained in detail if you are eligible and interested.

Potential risks and benefits

Taking part in this study may offer the potential benefit of learning strategies to improve your sleep, which could in turn help with your PMDD symptoms and overall well-being. However, as with any study, there's always a chance that the intervention might not work for everyone, and it won't be a guaranteed cure. There are no known significant physical risks associated with a psychoeducation workshop, but you might find answering questionnaires about your symptoms emotionally challenging at times. Please remember that your participation is completely voluntary, and you are free to withdraw from the study at any time, for any reason, without it affecting your medical care.

Locations (1)

St Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton - West 5th Campus
Verified postcode
Hamilton, Canada

Common questions

What is PMDD?

PMDD stands for Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder. It's a severe form of PMS that causes significant emotional, physical, and sleep difficulties in the days before your period.

Why is sleep important for PMDD?

Sleep problems are very common with PMDD and can make your mood swings, emotional control, and daily activities even harder to manage. Improving sleep might help these symptoms.

Do I have to stop my current medication to join?

Not necessarily. If you're on medication, it needs to have been stable (same dose and type) for at least 8 weeks and remain stable throughout the study. This will be checked carefully.

What does 'psychoeducation' mean?

Psychoeducation simply means learning about a health condition and how to manage it. In this study, it's about understanding sleep and learning ways to improve it.

What will I actually *do* in the workshop?

The workshop will teach you about healthy sleep habits and strategies to deal with sleep difficulties, tailored for individuals with PMDD or severe premenstrual symptoms.

How to find out more

Sheryl M Green, PhD, C.Psych

sgreen@stjoes.ca 905-522-1155 Official trial record

Always speak to your GP or specialist before deciding to take part in a study.