Survey study, 2026
Why do some women's moods react strongly to hormone changes across the cycle while others don't?
This review explains that 'hormone sensitivity' is not one single thing but many, and that while most women are not strongly affected by hormone swings, some are much more sensitive, especially those with existing mood disorders; the exact reasons are still being studied.
What they did
This is a review article. The authors summarise current knowledge on menstrually related mood disorders and the different ways women can be sensitive to estrogen and progesterone changes. They also compare this to other times of hormone change (puberty, perimenopause, pregnancy and after birth) and discuss environmental, brain-based, and thinking/emotional factors linked to sensitivity.
What they found
Most menstruating people show no significant mood or behavior impact from hormone fluctuations, but rates of hormone sensitivity are much higher among people with affective (mood) disorders. The review points to shared psychosocial or physiological factors that may explain this and outlines environmental, neurobiological, and cognitive/affective contributors, along with gaps that need more research.
What it means for you
If you feel strongly affected by your cycle, you are not imagining it. This is a recognised pattern, especially linked with mood disorders, though the review does not give new treatment answers; it maps out what is known and what still needs study.
About the study
- Original title
- Affective Sensitivity to Ovarian Steroid Hormone Flux Across the Menstrual Cycle: Manifestations and Biopsychosocial Risk Factors
- Authors
- Stumper A, Schmalenberger KM, Eisenlohr-Moul TA et al.
- Journal
- Annual review of clinical psychology
- Year
- 2026
- Study design
- Survey study
- What was tested
- None (review article, no treatment tested)
- Open access
- Yes
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1146/annurev-clinpsy-061724-083756
Topics
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