Study, 2004
How do work and time off affect women's moods during different phases of their menstrual cycle?
Work days made women feel more anxious, stressed, and tired compared to days off. Menstrual cycle phase also affected mood, but the effect depended on whether it was a work or off day and on the woman's personality traits.
What they did
Researchers asked 203 nurses to report their moods (angry, happy, sad, stressed, tired, anxious) on two work days and two days off during the follicular and luteal phases of their menstrual cycle. They also measured each woman's personality traits including anger expression, anxiety, and hostility.
What they found
On work days compared to off days, women reported higher levels of anxiousness, stress, and tiredness, and lower levels of happiness and sadness. Menstrual cycle phase was linked with mood differences, but these differences depended on whether it was a work or off day and on individual personality traits. Overall, everyday moods are affected by both overall stress levels and menstrual cycle phase.
What it means for you
Work stress strongly affects mood, and the menstrual cycle also affects mood, but the pattern depends on your personality. Understanding mood patterns in PMS requires considering both cycle phase and daily stressors together. The main limitation is that this study was only of nurses, so results may not apply to all women in other jobs or situations.
203
nurses studied
About the study
- Original title
- Moods in everyday situations: effects of menstrual cycle, work, and personality
- Authors
- Davydov DM, Shapiro D, Goldstein IB
- Journal
- Journal of psychosomatic research
- Year
- 2004
- Study design
- Study
- Participants
- 203
- What was tested
- Mood tracking across menstrual cycle phases
- Open access
- Yes
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1016/s0022-3999(03)00602-0
Topics
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