--- title: Do people with PMDD and severe PMS have difficulties with emotion regulation? description: People with PMDD and severe PMS may have difficulties identifying emotions and choosing how to handle them, particularly using rumination (replaying upset tho url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/emotion-regulation-in-premenstrual-dysphoric-disorder-and-premenstrual-syndrome-2025/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - Do people with PMDD and severe PMS have difficulties with emotion regulation? Systematic review, 2025 # Do people with PMDD and severe PMS have difficulties with emotion regulation? People with PMDD and severe PMS may have difficulties identifying emotions and choosing how to handle them, particularly using rumination (replaying upset thoughts) in the late-luteal phase. Evidence remains limited. Strong study design 1529 participants with PMDD or PMS confirmed via prospective symptom tracking ## What they did Systematic review of 22 studies with 1529 people measuring emotion regulation through questionnaires or experimental tasks in those with PMDD or PMS confirmed by tracking symptoms for 1 or more months, compared to healthy controls or measured at least twice across 2 menstrual cycle phases. ## What they found Findings suggest possible difficulties in identifying and choosing emotion regulation strategies in people with PMDD and PMS, including heightened emotional reactivity and challenges with emotional clarity. There was some evidence of increased rumination, particularly in the late-luteal phase. Evidence on difficulties using regulation strategies was limited and inconsistent. ## What it means for you Emotion regulation difficulties may contribute to PMDD and PMS symptoms, particularly trouble recognizing emotions and choosing how to handle them. This understanding could guide new non-medication treatments. Main limitations include limited evidence on some processes and few experimental studies. 22 Studies included 1529 Total participants ## About the study Original title Emotion regulation in Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder and Premenstrual Syndrome: a systematic review Authors Lambert E, Hunter M, Cocker H et al. Journal BMC psychology Year 2025 Study design Systematic review What was tested None (observational review) Open access Yes Read the paper [doi.org/10.1186/s40359-025-03587-y](https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-025-03587-y) ## Topics [Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pmdd/)[Menstrual cycle and mood](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-cycle-mood/)[Low mood and depression](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-depression-mood/)[Mood swings and emotion regulation](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-emotional-regulation/) 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 How do women with PMDD process emotions differently in their brains? Case-control study, 2026 Do women with PMS handle emotions differently at different times of the cycle? Cohort study, 2023 Does the menstrual cycle affect how often women have suicidal thoughts? Case-control study, 2023 Do emotion regulation strategies help women with PMDD manage mood and stress hormones? Survey study, 2026 Does controlling personality traits help emotional regulation in women with PMS? Survey study, 2025 Does anxiety and emotion regulation change across the menstrual cycle in women with PMS and PMDD? Ask AI about this page Copy prompt ChatGPT ↗ Claude ↗ Perplexity ↗ Google AI Mode ↗ Grok ↗