---
title: Does the time of the menstrual cycle affect how women answer questions about mood?
description: No. Women's answers about mood symptoms are just as reliable and consistent regardless of where they are in their menstrual cycle. All women scored higher tha
url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/in-menstrual-cycle-stage-a-confounder-in-population-based-psychiatric-research-1997/
---

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- Does the time of the menstrual cycle affect how women answer questions about mood?

Study, 1997

# Does the time of the menstrual cycle affect how women answer questions about mood?

No. Women's answers about mood symptoms are just as reliable and consistent regardless of where they are in their menstrual cycle. All women scored higher than men overall, but cycle phase didn't change this.

 Moderate study design

1769 women and 2265 men from an Israeli birth cohort

## What they did

Compared symptom ratings from 1769 women (368 premenstrual, 458 during menstruation, and 943 postmenstrual) and 2265 men from an Israeli population study. They measured how consistently women answered questions and whether symptom scores differed by cycle phase.

## What they found

There were no differences in how reliably women answered questions based on their menstrual cycle phase. There were no differences in symptom scores between the three female groups. All female groups scored higher than men, regardless of cycle phase.

## What it means for you

When studying women's mood symptoms in research, you don't need to exclude women or adjust for their cycle phase. Their answers are equally reliable at any time. These findings may not apply specifically to studies of PMDD or drug treatments.

1769

women in study

2265

men in study

## About the study

Original title In menstrual cycle stage a confounder in population-based psychiatric research? Authors Schwartz S, Lincoln A, Levav I Journal Psychological medicine Year 1997 Study design Study Participants 1,769 Read the paper [doi.org/10.1017/s003329179700514x](https://doi.org/10.1017/s003329179700514x)

## 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/)

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

Cohort study, 2026

What genetic factors are linked to premenstrual symptoms?

Study, 2026

How do women with PMDD process emotions differently in their brains?

Systematic review, 2026

Why do some women experience mood changes linked to their menstrual cycle?

Case-control study, 2026

Do women with PMS handle emotions differently at different times of the cycle?

Survey study, 2025

Does PMDD or PMS affect quality of life?

Systematic review, 2025

Do people with PMDD and severe PMS have difficulties with emotion regulation?

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