--- title: Is there a link between excessive anxiety and mood changes during the menstrual cycle? description: Among female medical students during COVID, those who had a tendency to focus excessively on small details had more depression, sleep problems, and some perce url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/aberrant-salience-associated-with-menstrual-cycle-mood-and-sleep-alterations-a-2026/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - Is there a link between excessive anxiety and mood changes during the menstrual cycle? Cohort study, 2026 # Is there a link between excessive anxiety and mood changes during the menstrual cycle? Among female medical students during COVID, those who had a tendency to focus excessively on small details had more depression, sleep problems, and some perceived menstrual changes. However, this was just an observation, not proof of cause and effect. Early or limited evidence 293 female medical students during COVID-19 pandemic in March 2021 ## What they did 293 female medical students answered questionnaires in March 2021 about how much they worry excessively, their depression symptoms, sleep problems, and changes in their periods. Researchers looked for connections between these measures. ## What they found Higher tendencies to worry excessively were linked to more depression and sleep complaints. Perceived changes in period flow showed some connection, but irregular periods were not strongly linked to excessive worry. ## What it means for you During COVID stress, female medical students who tend to worry excessively also reported more depression, sleep issues, and some menstrual changes. This was just an observation, so we do not know if anxiety caused the period changes or if something else is happening. The period connections were weak. These results are specific to medical students and may differ for others. 293 female medical students ≤13 vs ≥14 anxiety score cut-offs 2021 survey year ## About the study Original title Aberrant salience associated with menstrual cycle, mood, and sleep alterations - A cross-sectional study in female medical students during the COVID-19 pandemic Authors Polese D, Mazzetta A, Costanzi F et al. Journal Journal of affective disorders Year 2026 Study design Cohort study Participants 293 What was tested None Read the paper [doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2026.121416](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2026.121416) ## Topics [Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Menstrual cycle and mood](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-cycle-mood/)[Dysmenorrhea and period pain](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-dysmenorrhea/)[Low mood and depression](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-depression-mood/)[Sleep and insomnia](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-sleep/)[Stress](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-stress/)[Students and academic performance](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-education/) 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 Survey study, 2024 Did COVID-19 stress cause changes in menstrual cycles? Survey study, 2026 Does exercise help college women with period problems and mental health? Survey study, 2023 What factors make premenstrual syndrome worse in nursing students? Survey study, 2023 What factors make PMS worse in college students? Survey study, 2023 What factors most influence PMS severity in college students? Survey study, 2021 What factors are related to premenstrual syndrome in high school students? Ask AI about this page Copy prompt ChatGPT ↗ Claude ↗ Perplexity ↗ Google AI Mode ↗ Grok ↗