Healthcare systems often overlook the emotional challenges that come with menstruation. While physical hygiene gets attention and funding, mental health symptoms affecting about 90% of menstruating people are mostly ignored in medical care and policies.

Studies from PubMed Central show 80% to 90% of women have Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS), and around 2.5% to 3% suffer from Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD). These conditions cause mood swings, anxiety, and problems with daily life that can hurt work and relationships. Right now, healthcare rarely screens for or treats these issues properly.

Leadership Shapes Healthcare Focus

According to Dasra’s An Unbalanced Scale report, in India, women make up 80% of nurses and 29% of doctors, but only hold 18% of leadership roles in healthcare. Around the world, women fill about 25% of senior healthcare jobs and just 5% of top executive posts. This imbalance affects what health issues get attention and funding.

Healthcare organisations led mostly by men tend to overlook conditions that mainly affect women. Menstrual emotional problems exhibit that without women in decision-making roles, these issues stay on the sidelines.

Policies Ignore Mental Health

Government programs often focus on handing out sanitary products but leave out mental health support. India does not have a national menstrual health policy that includes emotional well-being. Proposed menstrual leave laws are rejected, mainly over worries about work disruption rather than medical facts.

Doctors and nurses are not trained well enough to spot emotional problems tied to menstruation. Many women with PMDD wait years for the right diagnosis and often get treated for general anxiety or depression instead of the specific problem.

Workplaces Don’t Support Menstrual Health

Female healthcare workers are expected to keep working at full capacity even when they face strong emotional symptoms during their periods. This leads to more sick days, lower job satisfaction, and people quitting, making staff shortages worse.

Hospitals and clinics that have policies supporting menstrual health see fewer sick days, better employee loyalty, and happier workers. Healthcare systems need to do the same if they want to care for patients well.

Building Awareness Around Menstrual Mental Health

Doctors should routinely check for PMS and PMDD symptoms during regular visits. Medical schools need to teach about menstrual-related emotional disorders. Healthcare workers should have clear guidelines on how to diagnose and treat these conditions.

Finding these problems early and treating them right saves money, helps patients feel better, and reduces long-term disability claims.

Technology Has Room to Grow

Most period-tracking apps only focus on predicting cycles, not on mood changes or mental health. Few offer reliable advice or connect users to care for emotional symptoms.

Tech companies should build better apps that track both physical and emotional signs and help with clinical decisions. These tools could help diagnose problems earlier and support patients better.

The Economic Cost Is High

Ignoring menstrual emotional problems leads to lost work time, more doctor visits, and less stable healthcare staffing. Organisations that address these issues see better efficiency and happier employees.

Healthcare leaders have a duty to run their systems well while taking good care of patients. Dealing with menstrual emotional health helps with both.

Also read: A Period-Friendly World: From Whisper to Revolution

What Needs to Be Done

Healthcare systems must put more women in leadership roles to make sure women’s health gets proper attention. They need clear policies to screen for menstrual emotional disorders, train staff, and offer workplace support.

Research funding should focus on these disorders, their costs, and how to treat them. Tech developers should get support to build better menstrual health tools that include emotional symptoms.

Way Forward

Menstrual emotional problems affect millions every year but get little attention from healthcare. This is because leadership does not represent patients well, policies treat menstruation as only a hygiene matter, and medical care does not look for or treat mental symptoms.

Healthcare leaders must make real changes. Menstrual Hygiene Day 2025 is a chance to commit to menstrual health services that include emotional care.

Views expressed by: Pritika Singh, CEO, Prayag Hospitals Group

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