My interest in reproductive mental health began during my Psychology BSc at Durham University, where my dissertation explored autistic people’s experiences of menstruation. This highlighted significant gaps in research on premenstrual mental health and, in particular, Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD) in autistic adults. I have since completed an MPhil in Foundations of Clinical Psychology at the University of Cambridge, and will build on my undergraduate work through my PhD.
My doctoral research will explore PMDD in autistic adults, examining how common and severe it is; how it is experienced and recognised in everyday life and healthcare; and the relationship between cyclical changes in ovarian hormones and daily mood symptoms. Using surveys, interviews, art-based methods, and hormonal data, the project will bring together different perspectives on premenstrual distress.
The research will take a participatory approach, working alongside autistic individuals and the International Association for Premenstrual Disorders. I hope this work will improve recognition of premenstrual distress in autistic people and contribute to a stronger evidence base for more equitable reproductive mental health research and care.
