Cohort study, 1994
Do most women experience typical premenstrual syndrome?
No. Most women have mood changes linked to their cycle, but few have stereotypical PMS. About half the women who objectively met the criteria said they had it, and half said they didn't.
What they did
60 women and 10 men from the community tracked their mood every day for 12 to 18 weeks. A new method identified when each person's mood changed notably compared to their own baseline.
What they found
Two-thirds of both women and men had one or more phases or days that were notably positive or negative. But few had stereotypical PMS. About half the women whose prospective data met strict criteria for PMS said they had PMS, and half said they did not.
What it means for you
Many people notice cyclical mood changes through the menstrual cycle or week, but true PMS is less common than expected. The study was small, and women's own sense of having PMS did not match what the study measured.
60
Women tracked
12-18 weeks
Duration of daily mood tracking
2/3
Had cyclical mood changes
About the study
- Original title
- Placing Premenstrual Syndrome in Perspective
- Authors
- Jessica Motherwell McFarlane, Tannis M. Williams
- Journal
- Psychology of Women Quarterly
- Year
- 1994
- Study design
- Cohort study
- Participants
- 60
- What was tested
- none
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1111/j.1471-6402.1994.tb00460.x