Lab study, 1977
Does your menstrual cycle change how easily you develop anxiety responses?
Yes. Women tested right before their period developed anxiety responses more easily and were more resistant to losing them. Women taking birth control pills showed even more sensitivity.
What they did
16 women with phobias were tested either right before their period or at other times in their cycle. Researchers taught them to have an anxiety response to a blue light paired with loud noise, then tried to help them unlearn it.
What they found
Women tested in the pre-menstrual phase readily developed the anxiety response and showed resistance to extinction. Women tested at other times in the cycle were less susceptible. Women on birth control pills showed increased sensitivity to developing conditioned anxiety responses.
What it means for you
The menstrual cycle may affect how easily anxiety develops and how long it lasts. This is a small study in women with existing phobias, so it may not apply to all women.
16
women studied
About the study
- Original title
- Vulnerability and conditioning in relation to the human menstrual cycle
- Authors
- Vila J, Beech HR
- Journal
- The British journal of social and clinical psychology
- Year
- 1977
- Study design
- Lab study
- What was tested
- Conditioning with blue light and white noise
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1111/j.2044-8260.1977.tb01004.x