---
title: Do anxiety disorders, PTSD and OCD get worse at certain points in the menstrual cycle?
description: For some women, yes. A review of 14 studies found that symptoms of several anxiety-related disorders tend to flare around the days before and after the period
url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/symptom-fluctuation-over-the-menstrual-cycle-in-anxiety-disorders-ptsd-and-ocd-a-2022/
---

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- Do anxiety disorders, PTSD and OCD get worse at certain points in the menstrual cycle?

Systematic review, 2022

# Do anxiety disorders, PTSD and OCD get worse at certain points in the menstrual cycle?

For some women, yes. A review of 14 studies found that symptoms of several anxiety-related disorders tend to flare around the days before and after the period starts, but this pattern doesn't happen in every woman.

 Moderate study design

Women with a diagnosed anxiety disorder, PTSD or OCD, across 14 studies.

## What they did

Researchers searched two research databases (PsycINFO and PubMed) up to April 2021 for studies that measured symptoms of a diagnosed anxiety disorder, PTSD or OCD at two or more different points in the menstrual cycle. They found and reviewed 14 studies that met their criteria.

## What they found

Symptoms of panic disorder, PTSD, social anxiety disorder and generalised anxiety disorder worsened in the week or so before the period and again just after it starts, times linked to rapidly falling or low ovarian hormone levels. The effect was inconsistent, varying between individual women and between symptom types. The studies themselves had weaknesses: inconsistent ways of defining menstrual phases, small numbers of participants, and samples not very representative of women generally.

## What it means for you

If you have an anxiety disorder, PTSD or OCD, your symptoms may flare around certain cycle phases, but this doesn't apply to everyone, and the research is limited by small, inconsistently designed studies, so firm conclusions aren't yet possible.

14

studies included in the review

## About the study

Original title Symptom fluctuation over the menstrual cycle in anxiety disorders, PTSD, and OCD: a systematic review Authors Green SA, Graham BM Journal Archives of women's mental health Year 2022 Study design Systematic review What was tested None; this is an observational review comparing symptoms across menstrual cycle phases, no treatment tested. Read the paper [doi.org/10.1007/s00737-021-01187-4](https://doi.org/10.1007/s00737-021-01187-4)

## Topics

[Menstrual cycle and mood](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-cycle-mood/)[Anxiety and tension](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-anxiety/)[Anxiety disorders and OCD](https://niyora.com/research/topics/comorbidity-anxiety-disorders/)[PTSD and trauma](https://niyora.com/research/topics/comorbidity-ptsd-trauma/)

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## Related studies

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