Survey study, 2010
How do mood, physical state, and self-image change during the premenstrual period?
During the premenstrual period, women experienced more negative emotions, fewer positive emotions, and felt worse about their body and themselves. Changes affected how they saw themselves, not just their mood.
What they did
51 healthy women aged 21-46 kept daily diaries for one week before their period and four days after it started, across two menstrual cycles. They rated their physical state (fatigue, breast tenderness, bloating, poor sleep), emotions (happiness, anger, sadness, irritability, anxiety, distraction), and how they felt about their physical attractiveness and satisfaction with themselves.
What they found
The premenstrual period was marked by more intense negative emotions, fewer positive emotions, and lower perception of physical attractiveness and satisfaction with oneself. The changes affected how women thought about and saw themselves overall, not just their mood.
What it means for you
PMS is not just about mood swings. It includes changes in self-image and how women see their bodies and themselves mentally. The study looked at women who were not seeking help, so findings might not apply to women with more severe PMS. Only two cycles per woman were tracked.
51
women studied
21-46
age range
2
cycles tracked
About the study
- Original title
- Psychophysical characteristics of the premenstrual period
- Authors
- Stanicić A, Jokić-Begić N
- Journal
- Collegium antropologicum
- Year
- 2010
- Study design
- Survey study
- What was tested
- None - observation of menstrual cycle changes
- Open access
- Yes
- Read the paper
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21874732/
Topics
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