--- title: How do women's thoughts about themselves and their relationships change with menstrual cycle symptoms? description: Women with high PMS symptoms had difficulty accepting imperfection in themselves and others, felt alone and overwhelmed, and had relationship tensions. Women url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/a-qualitative-investigation-of-women-s-experiences-of-the-self-and-others-in-2009/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - How do women's thoughts about themselves and their relationships change with menstrual cycle symptoms? Interview study, 2009 # How do women's thoughts about themselves and their relationships change with menstrual cycle symptoms? Women with high PMS symptoms had difficulty accepting imperfection in themselves and others, felt alone and overwhelmed, and had relationship tensions. Women with low symptoms were more laid back and had stronger support networks. Early or limited evidence 16 community women: 9 with low menstrual cycle symptoms, 7 with high menstrual cycle symptoms ## What they did Qualitative study with detailed interviews of 16 women (9 with low PMS symptoms and 7 with high symptoms). Women were interviewed about how they saw themselves and their relationships, and their answers were analyzed for common patterns and themes. ## What they found Women with high symptoms described themselves as perfectionist, focused on self-sacrifice, and compared themselves poorly to others. They felt alone, overwhelmed, and said relationships had unresolved tensions. Women with low symptoms described themselves as laid back but wanting control in family life. They accepted imperfect relationships and said they had strong support. Both groups thought their symptoms were irrational and controllable away from home, but vented symptoms on partner, family and children. ## What it means for you The way women think about themselves and their relationships may be connected to how many PMS symptoms they have. Women with high symptoms struggle with accepting imperfections. Both groups manage moods better in public and let emotions out at home. This was a small study with only 16 women, so patterns may not apply to all women. 16 Total women interviewed 9 Women with low symptoms 7 Women with high symptoms ## About the study Original title A qualitative investigation of women's experiences of the self and others in relation to their menstrual cycle Authors Slade P, Haywood A, King H Journal British journal of health psychology Year 2009 Study design Interview study Participants 16 Read the paper [doi.org/10.1348/135910708x304441](https://doi.org/10.1348/135910708x304441) ## Topics [Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Relationships and partners](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-relationships/)[Adolescents and young people](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-adolescents/)[Stigma, attitudes and culture](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-stigma-culture/) Research tells you what helps on average. Niyora helps on the day it hits. Calm down, see it another way, and decide what to say, with a PMS and PMDD app built by a doctor. ## Related studies Study, 2026 What coping strategies help women manage PMS symptoms? Survey study, 2025 What psychological and personal factors predict which university students will develop premenstrual syndrome? Survey study, 2025 Does the premenstrual period explain why evening-type sleep patterns cause more sleep schedule mismatch? Survey study, 2015 What helps high school girls manage premenstrual symptoms? Survey study, 2026 Why is understanding PMS awareness in teenage girls important? Survey study, 2026 Does self-injury or difficult childhood experiences increase PMDD risk in adolescents? Ask AI about this page Copy prompt ChatGPT ↗ Claude ↗ Perplexity ↗ Google AI Mode ↗ Grok ↗