Non-randomised trial, 1978
Does anxiety increase during menstruation?
According to this study, yes. State anxiety (how anxious someone feels right now) was raised during menstruation, and the amount of increase depended on each woman's baseline anxiety tendency. However, the study is small, from 1978, and notes that women may have exaggerated their symptoms.
What they did
This study measured anxiety using a standardized test called the STAI in female participants during menstruation and outside menstruation. The test measures both how anxious someone feels right now and their overall tendency to be anxious.
What they found
State anxiety was raised during menstruation. The amount of increase in state anxiety during menstruation depended on each woman's level of trait anxiety (baseline tendency to be anxious). The menstruating group scored higher than the control group on both positive and negative symptom items.
What it means for you
Anxiety may increase around menstruation and relate to how anxious someone naturally tends to be. However, the study notes women may have exaggerated their reported symptoms. The study is old and lacks clear details on sample size and group characteristics. Repeating this with modern methods would be valuable.
About the study
- Original title
- Anxiety and menstrual bleeding in Nigerian females
- Authors
- Awaritefe A
- Journal
- Mental health and society
- Year
- 1978
- Study design
- Non-randomised trial
- What was tested
- None - observational study
- Read the paper
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/576053/
Topics
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