---
title: Do negative thought patterns change during the menstrual cycle?
description: Some deeply held negative thought patterns became less active between day 1 and day 15 of the cycle, while other patterns stayed about the same. This suggests
url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/early-maladaptive-schema-domains-in-the-first-day-of-menses-and-15-days-after-2017/
---

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- Do negative thought patterns change during the menstrual cycle?

Lab study, 2017

# Do negative thought patterns change during the menstrual cycle?

Some deeply held negative thought patterns became less active between day 1 and day 15 of the cycle, while other patterns stayed about the same. This suggests hormones might activate certain thought patterns during PMS.

 Moderate study design

65 women from an architecture and engineering firm with no other mental health conditions

## What they did

110 women from an architecture and engineering firm were recruited. Women who had no other mental health conditions (65 women) filled out a questionnaire about their deepest thought patterns and beliefs on day 1 of their period and again 15 days later.

## What they found

By day 15 of the cycle, negative thoughts about being defective, lacking self-control, failing at things, and worrying about harm all clearly decreased. Other negative patterns like fear of abandonment, feeling isolated, depending too much on others, and self-sacrifice stayed about the same across both measurements.

## What it means for you

This suggests that some negative thought patterns might get worse with hormone changes during PMS and improve as the cycle continues. A type of talk therapy called schema therapy that targets these deep patterns might help. The main limit is the study was in one workplace with mostly office workers, so results may not apply to all women.

110

Women initially enrolled

65

Women who completed the study

15 days

Time between measurements

## About the study

Original title Early maladaptive schema domains in the first day of menses and 15 days after the menses in healthy volunteers Authors Barış Önen Ünsalver, A. Ulu, Gökben Hızlı Sayar Journal European Psychiatry Year 2017 Study design Lab study Participants 65 What was tested None (this was an observational study measuring changes across the cycle) Open access Yes Read the paper [doi.org/10.1016/j.eurpsy.2017.01.2261](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eurpsy.2017.01.2261)

## Topics

[Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)

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.

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