Survey study, 1989
Does personality dysfunction change during the menstrual cycle in women with PMS?
No. Personality issues were reported equally in both the follicular and luteal phases, even in women with PMS.
What they did
42 women seeking a PMS diagnosis tracked symptoms daily for at least 2 menstrual cycles. 10 of these women also completed a personality questionnaire twice - once in their follicular phase (early cycle) and once in their luteal phase (later cycle).
What they found
Women who sought a PMS diagnosis had high rates of personality dysfunction. However, the severity of personality issues did not change significantly between the follicular and luteal phases, regardless of whether they had PMS or LLPDD.
What it means for you
Personality patterns in women with PMS appear stable across the menstrual cycle rather than worsened by hormonal changes. The main limitation is the very small sample - only 10 women completed assessments in both cycle phases.
42
Women seeking diagnosis
10
Assessed in both cycle phases
2 or more
Minimum menstrual cycles tracked
About the study
- Original title
- Late Luteal Phase Dysphoric Disorder: Relationship to Personality Disorders
- Authors
- Marcia Eckerd, Stephen W. Hurt, Sally K. Severino
- Journal
- Journal of Personality Disorders
- Year
- 1989
- Study design
- Survey study
- Participants
- 10
- What was tested
- None
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1521/pedi.1989.3.4.338
Topics
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