Survey study, 1991
Does mood and symptoms change at different points in the menstrual cycle?
No. No differences were found in mood strength or symptom severity between different cycle phases. How strongly someone's mood changed was connected to how many symptoms they had, not to which part of the cycle they were in.
What they did
Women reported their mood, sexual arousal, and feelings at different cycle phases, and recorded symptoms and how severe they were.
What they found
There were no significant differences in mood strength or number and severity of symptoms between different cycle phases. There was a positive relationship between symptom severity and strength of mood. Both culturally held attitudes towards menstruation and biological events appeared to matter.
What it means for you
Cultural beliefs about menstruation may affect how women experience their cycle as much as biology does. The strength of your mood may matter more than which part of your cycle you are in. The study did not specify sample size or other participant details.
About the study
- Original title
- Women's experience of the menstrual cycle
- Authors
- Jarvis TJ, McCabe MP
- Journal
- Journal of psychosomatic research
- Year
- 1991
- Study design
- Survey study
- What was tested
- None, observational
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1016/0022-3999(91)90115-5
Topics
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