---
title: Do women with PMS perceive stress and social support differently at different times in their menstrual cycle?
description: Yes. All women perceived more stressors as severe during the premenstrual phase, but only women with PMS reported lower satisfaction with their social support
url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/menstrual-related-perceptual-changes-in-women-with-premenstrual-syndrome-factors-1994/
---

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- Do women with PMS perceive stress and social support differently at different times in their menstrual cycle?

Survey study, 1994

# Do women with PMS perceive stress and social support differently at different times in their menstrual cycle?

Yes. All women perceived more stressors as severe during the premenstrual phase, but only women with PMS reported lower satisfaction with their social support and self-esteem at that time. This suggests the cycle affects how women with PMS view their stress and relationships.

 Early or limited evidence

32 undergraduate women, including 10 with PMS and 22 without

## What they did

32 women (10 with PMS, 22 without) kept daily diaries for 35 days rating how severe their stressors were. Before and after their period, they answered questions about their social support satisfaction and self-esteem.

## What they found

All women rated more stressors as severe during the premenstrual phase compared to after their period. All women perceived fewer people in their social support network premenstrually. However, only women with PMS reported lower satisfaction with their social support and lower self-esteem during the premenstrual phase.

## What it means for you

The menstrual cycle changes how all women perceive stress, but women with PMS experience more negative changes in how they feel about their relationships and themselves. Understanding these perceptual changes could help doctors design more effective treatments. The main limitations are the small sample size, especially the small number of PMS women (only 10), and the observational design.

32

Total women studied

10

Women with PMS

35

Days of diary tracking

## About the study

Original title Menstrual-related perceptual changes in women with premenstrual syndrome: Factors to consider in treatment Authors Anne M. Fontana, Beth A. Pontari Journal Counselling Psychology Quarterly Year 1994 Study design Survey study What was tested None (observational diary study) Read the paper [doi.org/10.1080/09515079408254162](https://doi.org/10.1080/09515079408254162)

## Topics

[Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Menstrual cycle and mood](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-cycle-mood/)[Stress](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-stress/)[Relationships and partners](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-relationships/)[Stigma, attitudes and culture](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-stigma-culture/)

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