Survey study, 1976
Does premenstrual anxiety and depression affect how well women think?
Women reported more anxiety and depression before their period, but this mood change did not affect how well they performed on thinking tests.
What they did
50 women aged 30-45 completed mood and thinking tests at two times: 4 days before their period and again 2 weeks later.
What they found
There were significant increases in anxiety and depression 4 days before their period. However, there were no significant differences in thinking test performance between sessions, and premenstrual mood did not correlate with thinking test scores.
What it means for you
Premenstrual mood changes may not be strong enough to impair thinking and mental performance. The main limitations are the small sample size and unclear if testing timing was accurate.
50
women studied
4 days
first testing before period
2 weeks
second testing after first session
About the study
- Original title
- The effect of premenstrual anxiety and depression on cognitive function
- Authors
- Golub S
- Journal
- Journal of personality and social psychology
- Year
- 1976
- Study design
- Survey study
- Participants
- 50
- What was tested
- None
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1037//0022-3514.34.1.99
Topics
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