---
title: Relationships and partners: 712 studies, explained | Niyora
description: 712 studies on relationships and partners and PMS or PMDD, each summarised in plain English: what was tested, who took part, what they found and what it means
url: https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-relationships/
---

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# Relationships and partners: what the research says

712 studies on relationships and partners in PMS and PMDD, each explained in plain English. 20 of them use the strongest designs: randomised trials and systematic reviews.

Survey study 485

Cohort study 65

Study 35

Case-control study 28

Interview study 25

Randomised trial 21

Cohort study, 2026

Does sleeping longer improve mood and fitness in elite athletes?

Yes. Sleeping longer was linked to better mood and fitness across all athletes, regardless of menstrual cycle status. Sleeping less than 8 hours was linked to below-average mood and fitness.

Systematic review, 2026

What is it like for women to live with PMS or PMDD?

Women report lack of understanding from others and healthcare providers, confusion about their identity, impact on relationships, and difficulty getting diagnosed. Better training for healthcare professionals is needed.

Randomised trial, 2025

Does mood, well-being, and sexual function change across the menstrual cycle?

No, there were no meaningful changes in sexual function, mood, or well-being across menstrual cycle phases in healthy young women. Being in a stable relationship predicted better sexual function overall, but cycle phase did not.

Systematic review, 2025

Is there a link between stress, trauma, and premenstrual symptoms?

Yes. This meta-analysis of 66 studies with 38,344 people found a moderate positive link between stress and premenstrual symptoms. People with PMDD or PMS have significantly higher stress than others, and those with trauma history are more than twice as likely to have PMS.

Cohort study, 2025

Is there a link between premenstrual disorders and autoimmune disease?

Yes. Women with autoimmune disease have 12% higher risk of premenstrual disorders, and women with premenstrual disorders have 23% higher risk of autoimmune disease.

Cohort study, 2024

Do women with severe premenstrual disorders have higher risk of relationship breakup?

Yes. Married or cohabiting women with severe premenstrual disorders have about 21% higher risk of relationship breakup. This effect is stronger for premenstrual dysphoric disorder than for premenstrual syndrome and stronger in women without depression or anxiety.

Cohort study, 2024

Is there a link between sleep and menstrual problems in teenage girls?

Yes. Girls who sleep less and have more sleep problems report worse menstrual pain, irregular periods, and more premenstrual symptoms.

Randomised trial, 2023

Does taking sertraline when PMDD symptoms start improve how well women function?

Relationship functioning improved more with sertraline at symptom onset, mainly because it reduced anger and irritability. However, work productivity and social activities did not improve clearly.

Systematic review, 2023

Does body composition affect premenstrual syndrome symptoms?

Yes. Higher body weight and more central fat around the belly and hips are linked to more PMS symptoms, more severe symptoms, and higher risk of depression and anxiety in women with PMS.

Survey study, 2022

Does physical activity or obesity affect the risk of developing PMS?

Physical activity lowers PMS risk, while obesity raises it slightly. These findings come from combining results from 13 studies across multiple continents.

Systematic review, 2022

What makes some PMS studies more reliable than others?

Most PMS studies have quality problems, but studies with fewer authors and lower-profile journals tend to be better designed. We still need more rigorous research on PMS treatments.

Cohort study, 2021

Are low antioxidant vitamins or high oxidative stress linked to premenstrual syndrome?

This study found that oxidative stress markers were linked to more depression and food cravings symptoms and more severe PMS, but antioxidant vitamin levels were mostly not associated with PMS symptoms.

Systematic review, 2021

Are women with PMS or PMDD more likely to think about or attempt suicide?

Yes. Pooling results from multiple studies, women with PMDD had a much higher chance of suicide attempts and suicidal thoughts than women without these premenstrual problems.

Systematic review, 2018

Does traditional medicine help treat premenstrual syndrome?

The study reviewed herbal and complementary therapies for PMS in published databases, but the abstract does not report what the review found.

Randomised trial, 2012

Does Vitex agnus castus work for PMS, and what dose is best?

Yes, Vitex at 20 mg daily significantly reduced PMS symptoms compared to placebo. A 30 mg dose did not work better, making 20 mg the optimal dose.

Randomised trial, 2011

Does taking essential fatty acids help treat PMS?

Yes, taking 2 grams of essential fatty acids significantly reduced PMS symptoms by the 6th month, with greater improvement than the 1-gram dose. Placebo also improved symptoms but less dramatically by month 6.

Randomised trial, 2011

Does a 24/4 birth control pill help women with PMDD improve work, relationship, and social functioning?

Yes. The pill significantly improved problems at work, in relationships, and in social activities compared to placebo, with the greatest improvements appearing in the first cycle.

Survey study, 2011

Is premenstrual syndrome related to major depression?

Yes. Women with moderate to severe PMS are significantly more likely to have depression (11.3% to 24.6% depending on PMS severity). Women with both conditions are more severely impaired than those with either alone.

Review, 2002

What treatments work best for PMDD?

Exercise, diet changes, minerals, and medicines that stop ovulation all help, with SSRIs appearing most effective. Start with non-medication approaches first.

Cohort study, 1999

What causes negative mood during menopause?

The menopause transition itself and hormone levels do not directly cause negative mood. Instead, past premenstrual problems, negative attitudes to aging, life stress, health problems, smoking, low exercise, and relationship issues are the main causes.

Survey study, 2026

What factors predict emotional eating in women with and without PMS?

Emotional overeating is the strongest predictor of emotional appetite. Body weight, PMS appetite changes, and eating behaviors together explain 51.3% of emotional eating, suggesting it involves biological, psychological, and behavioral factors.

Survey study, 2026

Does stress affect premenstrual symptoms in female athletes, and can coping strategies help?

A review of research found that higher stress worsens PMS symptoms in female athletes, while healthy coping strategies like emotional regulation and social support can reduce symptoms. This comes from multiple studies rather than one new study.

Survey study, 2026

Does childhood trauma cause worse PMS, and can social support help?

In a study of 629 women in Iran, childhood trauma was associated with more severe PMS, while strong perceived social support was associated with less severe PMS. Social support appeared to reduce the negative effect of trauma on PMS.

Cohort study, 2026

Is wanting to get pregnant linked to worse PMDD symptoms?

No. Among full-time working women, wanting to get pregnant was not linked to having PMDD, though it was weakly linked to slightly higher symptom scores.

Survey study, 2026

How does sleep change across the menstrual cycle in women with psychiatric conditions and suicidal thinking?

Sleep varies across the menstrual cycle in women with psychiatric conditions. These patterns align with changes in mood and suicidal thinking, with some women having worse sleep around their period or in the luteal phase. This suggests sleep monitoring may help identify higher-risk periods.

Systematic review, 2026

What types of talking therapy have been studied for PMS and PMDD?

Several cognitive behavioral therapies have been studied for PMS and PMDD, including CBT, mindfulness therapy, and acceptance therapy. The evidence is scattered and hasn't been systematically compared yet, so we don't know which approach works best.

Survey study, 2026

What dietary, lifestyle, and psychological factors are associated with PMS in young women?

Stress and sleep problems were independently associated with PMS. Diet and weight were not independently associated with PMS after accounting for other factors. This is a cross-sectional study, so these are associations, not proof of cause and effect.

Survey study, 2026

What factors affect PMS in university students and does it impact schoolwork?

About 15% of students had significant PMS. More than half said it affected their schoolwork. Strong family support reduced PMS, and students with PMS were less likely to have very dysfunctional families.

Survey study, 2026

What helps teenagers cope better with PMS?

Social support and regular menstrual cycles are the strongest factors that help teenagers manage PMS. Teenagers who feel supported by others tend to use healthier coping strategies.

Survey study, 2026

Does fear of childbirth explain why women with PMS are more likely to develop postpartum depression?

Yes, partially. Fear of childbirth accounts for 31.03% of the effect of PMS on postpartum depression in first-time mothers, and 43.62% in experienced mothers. This suggests PMS creates ongoing emotional vulnerability through pregnancy and after birth.

Study, 2026

What coping strategies help women manage PMS symptoms?

Many strategies help manage PMS: psychological and behavioral changes, lifestyle modifications, and complementary methods like yoga and meditation. Programs combining counseling, education, and lifestyle changes work best and have few side effects.

Survey study, 2026

Is academic stress linked to PMS severity in university students?

Yes, clearly. Higher stress levels were linked to worse PMS symptoms.

Survey study, 2026

How does the way women cope with PMS symptoms affect their relationships?

Women with probable PMDD had lower relationship satisfaction than women with milder forms. Coping strategies involving self-care, communication, and avoiding harm were linked to better relationship satisfaction and more social support.

Study, 2026

What are premenstrual syndrome and premenstrual dysphoric disorder?

Between 5% and 8% of women have moderate-to-severe symptoms that cause significant problems with work, relationships, and daily life. These are called PMS or PMDD. PMDD is the most severe form.

Systematic review, 2026

What life experiences and personal factors influence how severe PMS is?

Adverse childhood experiences, stress, personality traits, and coping styles can worsen PMS. Physical exercise, social support, and resilience protect against severe symptoms. Research on these connections is very limited.

Survey study, 2026

Is self-compassion linked to PMS symptoms?

Yes, strongly. Women with higher self-compassion had fewer PMS symptoms. Self-compassion and marital status together explained about half of the differences in PMS severity.

Survey study, 2026

What life and job situations increase the risk of PMDD and moderate-to-severe PMS in working women?

Younger age, non-permanent jobs, working 60 or more hours weekly, small company employment, having children, and lower education all increase risk. Manufacturing jobs reduce risk.

Survey study, 2026

Does what you eat affect PMS symptoms?

Yes. Eating fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds, and dairy is linked to fewer PMS symptoms. Eating coffee, fried foods, sweets, fast food, and refined grains is linked to worse symptoms.

Survey study, 2026

How do pain, sleep quality, and appetite change across the menstrual cycle?

Appetite increases significantly before and during the period. Pain can disrupt sleep, especially during menstruation. Single women report much worse sleep and pain during their period than married women do.

Systematic review, 2026

What psychosocial and behavioral factors are linked to worse PMDD symptoms?

This systematic review of 12 studies with 2,486 participants found that family history of PMS, dysmenorrhea, and earlier menarche consistently linked to worse PMDD. Associations with depression, stress, and exercise showed mixed results.

Survey study, 2026

Is emotional dysregulation linked to premenstrual symptoms?

Yes, emotional dysregulation is significantly linked to premenstrual symptoms. Women with poor emotional regulation are more likely to experience severe premenstrual symptoms.

Case-control study, 2025

Are there brain differences in women with PMS?

Yes. Women with PMS show different connectivity patterns between the thalamus and other brain regions involved in emotion and stress.

Survey study, 2025

Do women with PMS have higher anxiety, stress, and different personality traits?

Yes. Women with PMS had significantly higher anxiety sensitivity and stress levels, higher neuroticism and psychoticism traits, and slightly lower extraversion than women without PMS.

Survey study, 2025

Does menstruation affect how well women perform at work?

Yes. On days when women were menstruating, they reported lower ability to control their emotions and regulate themselves, which led to worse task performance, less helping of colleagues, and more withdrawing from work. Pain made this effect stronger.

Survey study, 2025

Does thinking repeatedly about distressing thoughts make PMS worse, and can being mentally flexible help?

Women who thought repeatedly about worrying thoughts had more severe PMS symptoms. Being mentally flexible did not reduce this effect, meaning the link between overthinking and PMS remained strong and direct.

Survey study, 2025

How do personality traits like neuroticism affect PMS severity and sexual satisfaction?

Yes, personality traits significantly predict both PMS severity and sexual satisfaction. Women with higher neuroticism had more severe PMS with anxiety, depression, and fatigue, while those with higher extraversion had milder PMS and better sexual satisfaction.

Systematic review, 2025

Do drugs that stop ovulation help women with PMS?

The abstract is incomplete and does not provide the main results, so no clear answer can be determined from the information given.

Survey study, 2025

Do certain nutrients and body weight affect PMS?

Yes. Higher energy intake and fat intake were significantly related to PMS, as was abnormal body weight (both underweight and overweight). Other nutrients tested were not significantly related.

Cohort study, 2025

Do pain sensitivity and negative thinking explain how trauma and stress cause PMS or PMDD?

Yes. Both heightened pain sensitivity and negative thinking patterns mediate the connection between past trauma or stress and premenstrual disorder symptoms.

Survey study, 2025

What psychological and personal factors predict which university students will develop premenstrual syndrome?

High anger, low social support, childhood trauma, high stress, negative attitudes toward menstruation, and poor satisfaction with gender roles all predict PMS. However, results are limited to university students in one country.

Study, 2025

How do relationship difficulties and emotional control affect the link between PMS and poor sleep?

Both relationship difficulties and how people manage emotions affect the link between PMS and sleep problems. When women suppress emotions more, PMS affects sleep differently.

Survey study, 2025

Is PMS worse in girls living through violence and insecurity?

Yes. Adolescent girls exposed to political violence, living with insecurity, and experiencing depression-like symptoms were more likely to have severe PMS. Girls exposed to multiple types of violence had especially high rates of severe PMS.

Survey study, 2025

Are premenstrual symptoms linked to depression in teenage girls?

Yes. Girls with premenstrual symptoms were about 1.7 times more likely to have depressive symptoms than girls without PMS.

Survey study, 2025

Is PMS connected to mental health problems and lifestyle choices?

Yes, 64% of nursing students had PMS and it was strongly linked to depression, anxiety and stress. PMS was also more common in students who smoked, drank alcohol, drank coffee or reported psychological problems.

Survey study, 2025

How does sexual desire change during the menstrual cycle?

Sexual desire typically increases around ovulation when estrogen is highest, but stress, sleep, relationship quality, and PMS or PMDD can weaken this biological pattern.

Survey study, 2025

Does PMDD affect women's quality of life and job performance?

Yes. Women with PMDD had significantly lower quality of life and job performance. Quality of life was positively linked with job performance.

Survey study, 2025

Does stress management affect perimenstrual symptoms in working women?

Yes. Women with better stress management skills had less severe symptoms around their period. Those who used avoidance to cope had worse symptoms.

Survey study, 2025

Does how women cope with stress affect their PMDD symptoms?

Yes. Women with stress had worse PMDD symptoms, especially if they avoided dealing with the problem. Using better coping strategies helped reduce symptom severity under stress.

Survey study, 2025

Do menstrual problems lower well-being through anxiety?

Premenstrual symptoms and menstrual pain lower well-being both directly and through worry about the future. Other menstrual problems like irregular bleeding only affect well-being through causing worry.

Survey study, 2025

Does physical activity help reduce PMS symptoms?

Yes, there was a clear link between more exercise and less severe PMS symptoms. The improvement came both from exercise itself and partly from exercise reducing anxiety.

Survey study, 2025

Does the premenstrual period explain why evening-type sleep patterns cause more sleep schedule mismatch?

No. Evening-type sleep patterns were linked to worse sleep schedule mismatch, but premenstrual symptoms did not explain this connection.

Survey study, 2025

Are premenstrual dysphoric disorder symptoms, stress, and sleep quality linked in female nursing students?

Yes, there was a clear link between more premenstrual dysphoric disorder symptoms and higher stress, and between stress and worse sleep.

Study, 2025

How do premenstrual symptoms change throughout the menstrual cycle?

Premenstrual symptoms fall into six different groups: emotional, thinking, relationship, pain, and body changes. Each group follows its own pattern through the cycle. Body symptoms change most sharply and quickly, while emotional and relationship symptoms stay milder throughout.

Survey study, 2024

Does poor sleep and period problems affect teen mental health?

Yes. Teenagers with irregular periods, PMS, or menstrual pain had more anxiety and sadness, especially those sleeping less or going to bed later.

Survey study, 2024

Does PMS affect how well nurses do their job?

Yes. The study found a strong connection between PMS and missed or incomplete nursing care. In particular, abdominal discomfort from PMS was linked to missed activities like medication administration and patient monitoring.

Cohort study, 2024

Does the COVID-19 booster vaccine affect menstrual cycles in adolescent girls?

Yes. Girls who received the booster had shorter cycles on average, with cycles being 5.35 days shorter than before vaccination, especially in the second cycle after vaccination. Higher stress was also linked to shorter cycles.

Survey study, 2024

Does PMS affect how well nurses perform at work?

Yes. Nurses with more severe PMS symptoms had significantly lower job performance (correlation r=0.298, p<0.01). The connection was small to moderate and we cannot prove PMS caused the performance decrease.

Survey study, 2024

Which lifestyle choices affect PMS symptoms?

Depression was strongly linked to worse PMS symptoms, but exercise and relaxation showed no significant link. However, this was a snapshot survey that cannot prove depression causes PMS.

Cohort study, 2024

Does experiencing stressful life events change how your mood varies during your menstrual cycle?

Yes. Women who experienced more stressful or traumatic life events show bigger mood and mental health changes during the premenstrual phase, particularly increases in suicidal thoughts.

Survey study, 2024

What attitudes do women have about menstruation and what affects these attitudes?

Women view their periods as natural, bothersome, or shameful depending on their personal history and current experiences, including how they felt at menarche, menstrual pain, contraceptive use, body image, and comfort with sexuality.

Cohort study, 2024

Does the menstrual cycle affect daily changes in suicidal thoughts?

Yes, for women with suicidal ideation. They had worse suicidal thoughts and planning during certain menstrual cycle phases, particularly around menstruation, driven mainly by depression and hopelessness.

Cohort study, 2024

Does shift work worsen PMS symptoms in newly graduated nurses?

Yes. PMS got worse six months after newly graduated nurses started shift work and stayed worse at 18 months. Sleep quality and fatigue were the strongest linked factors.

Cohort study, 2024

Is PMS before pregnancy linked to postpartum depression?

Yes. Women with PMS symptoms before pregnancy were more likely to develop postpartum depression at day 7 to 10 after birth, 6 weeks postpartum, and 6 months postpartum. This association was especially strong in women who had been pregnant multiple times.

Survey study, 2024

Does education about PMS help couples' satisfaction and adjustment?

Yes. Couples who received education about PMS together showed significantly better marital satisfaction and adjustment compared to couples who received no education.

Review, 2024

How do hormones during the menstrual cycle affect emotions and behavior?

Estrogen before ovulation increases confidence and attractiveness. Progesterone during the luteal phase promotes stable relationships but causes PMS in many women.

Interview study, 2024

What are the experiences of self-harm and suicidal thoughts in women with PMDD?

Just under half of the women had deliberately harmed themselves during a PMDD crisis. 82% had suicidal thoughts during their luteal phase, and 26% had attempted to end their life. Women reported that diagnosis delays and damaged self-worth worsened their mental health.

Survey study, 2023

Does drinking behavior change across the menstrual cycle?

Yes, clear differences. Women drink more during mid-cycle and are more likely to drink heavily around ovulation and right before their period, especially on weekends. They also drink more to cope with stress right before their period.

Cohort study, 2023

Does the menstrual cycle affect how often women have suicidal thoughts?

Yes. Women with recent suicidal thoughts reported significantly more severe ideation during the perimenstrual phase (around their period) compared to other cycle phases. The cycle explained 25% of the change in suicidal thoughts.

Survey study, 2023

Which personality traits predict PMDD or severe PMS?

Women with anxious or cyclothymic personality traits are more likely to have PMDD and severe PMS. About 13.2% of women studied had PMDD.

Survey study, 2023

Does stress cause women with PMDD to eat emotionally?

In women with PMDD, stress mediated the link between PMS symptoms and emotional eating. Stress plays a key role in whether women eat emotionally during their cycle.

Survey study, 2023

Is PMS related to depression, anxiety, and stress during the COVID-19 pandemic?

Yes. A clear relationship was found between PMS and depression, anxiety, and stress. Most women experienced PMS (68.8%), anxiety (75.8%), and depression (63.8%).

Non-randomised trial, 2023

Do hormones affect sexual desire?

Sexual attraction varied in the first cycle with peaks around ovulation, but not in the second cycle. Hormone levels were not consistently linked to sexual attraction, and even very high estradiol levels during fertility treatment did not change sexual attraction.

Survey study, 2023

Which PMDD symptoms cause the most impairment and do they all belong in one condition?

Irritability is by far the most impairing PMDD symptom, affecting 77% of women with premenstrual symptoms. However, many of the symptoms listed in PMDD criteria appear unrelated to mood symptoms and don't seem clinically important on their own.

Survey study, 2023

Does eating more fiber help reduce PMS symptoms?

In this study of 85 medical students, there was no clear difference in PMS severity between those who ate more fiber and those who did not.

Cohort study, 2023

Does physical activity reduce PMS in high school girls?

Yes. High school girls who attended physical education classes at least twice per week had significantly lower odds of PMS compared to those with fewer PE classes.

Cohort study, 2023

Does recreational physical exercise reduce premenstrual symptoms in teenage girls?

Possibly. Girls who exercised 3 or more times per week had lower depression. However, older age and higher weight were linked to worse symptoms.

Survey study, 2022

How much do nursing students know about PMS and how well do they cope with it?

In this study of 100 nursing students, most had moderate knowledge about PMS and good ways of coping with it. There was a clear connection between understanding PMS better and coping with it better.

Survey study, 2022

How much does PMDD affect academic quality of life in female college students?

In this study of 239 health sciences students, nearly all experienced PMDD symptoms (physical 98.7%, psychological 97.5%, some social 58.2%), and about half said it affected their academic quality of life (46.9%).

Survey study, 2022

What are the biggest research gaps in women's health, especially for menstrual conditions?

Research is lacking in many important areas, especially communication between women and doctors about health, and support for menstrual conditions like PMDD and heavy periods. There is more research on menopause but not on how to help women manage other conditions.

Survey study, 2022

Is premenstrual syndrome related to aggression in adolescent girls?

Yes. Aggression tendencies increased as PMS severity increased, and girls who noticed increased anger before their period had higher PMS intensity overall.

Systematic review, 2022

Does having PMDD increase the risk of depression during pregnancy or after birth?

Yes. Women with PMDD have higher risk of depression after giving birth. Evidence for depression during pregnancy is less clear from current studies.

Case-control study, 2022

Do women with PMDD recognize emotions differently across their menstrual cycle than women without PMDD?

Yes. Women with PMDD showed different emotion recognition responses during different cycle phases while women without PMDD did not. This suggests PMDD affects how the brain processes emotional faces.

Randomised trial, 2022

Does emotion-focused group therapy help women with premenstrual dysphoric disorder?

Yes. Emotion-focused group therapy significantly improved pain, self-compassion, sexual function, and reduced couple burnout. The effects were large and consistent across all measured areas.

Case-control study, 2022

Do hunger hormones and eating patterns differ between women with and without PMS?

Yes. Women with PMS eat more calories and carbohydrates in the luteal phase (days before their period), while women without PMS do not. Hunger hormones work differently in the two groups.

Survey study, 2022

How much do premenstrual and menstrual symptoms affect teenage girls' quality of life?

Significantly. Most girls experienced premenstrual and menstrual symptoms that affected their overall quality of life, health, and mood. Girls with better coping strategies reported better quality of life.

Survey study, 2022

Do different healthcare providers differ in recognizing and treating PMDD?

Yes. Gynecologists and psychiatrists were rated highest for awareness and knowledge of PMDD. Psychotherapists were rated highest for interpersonal skills. Gynecologists were most likely to ask patients to track their symptoms daily. Different providers have different strengths.

Survey study, 2022

Does physical activity reduce PMS symptoms?

Yes. Women who were more physically active (at least 3000 MET-minutes per week) had significantly lower total PMS symptoms, physical symptoms, and psychological symptoms than less active women.

Survey study, 2022

Does physical activity reduce PMS symptoms?

Yes. Women who were more physically active (at least 3000 METs per week) had significantly lower total PMS symptoms, physical symptoms, and psychological symptoms than less active women.

Survey study, 2022

Does regular exercise reduce period symptoms?

Women who exercise regularly have less severe period symptoms, especially mood changes and social withdrawal before their period. This observational study cannot prove exercise causes the improvement.

Survey study, 2021

Do women who experienced childhood maltreatment have more PMS?

Yes. Women with childhood maltreatment had 47% higher risk of PMS, with physical and emotional abuse showing the strongest associations.

Survey study, 2021

Is irregular menstrual cycle linked to thoughts of suicide?

Women with irregular menstrual cycles were 1.42 times more likely to have suicidal thoughts than women with regular cycles. The association was strongest in younger women, those who started their period early, and those who were employed.

Cohort study, 2021

Does the menstrual cycle change how brain regions connect with each other?

Yes. The menstrual cycle changes how brain regions connect, particularly around ovulation, and these changes relate to estradiol levels and well-being. This is a small study (24 women) so the findings need confirmation in larger groups.

Interview study, 2021

How do premenstrual symptoms affect mothers and their parenting?

Psychological symptoms of PMS were linked to higher parenting stress. Women said irritability was the most troubling PMS symptom, but most developed ways to manage.

Survey study, 2021

Does physical activity or age at first period affect how much PMS a teenage girl experiences?

Physical activity showed a significant relationship with PMS (p=0.030), meaning girls with low activity had more PMS. Age of menarche did not show a significant relationship (p=0.073).

Study, 2021

Do women's personalities and marriages change between different phases of the menstrual cycle?

Yes. Women showed less healthy personality traits and lower marital satisfaction during the luteal phase (later part of cycle) compared to follicular phase (earlier part). Changes were larger in women with clear PMS.

Survey study, 2021

Does cognitive-behavioral emotional regulation training help women with PMDD?

Yes. Training significantly improved marital happiness and emotional regulation in women with PMDD. This was a small study with a control group, so the effect is promising but needs confirmation in larger studies.

Systematic review, 2020

Does smoking increase the risk of getting PMS?

Yes, smoking is associated with 1.56 times higher risk of PMS. But it is unclear whether smoking causes PMS to worsen or whether women with PMS smoke to try to cope.

Survey study, 2020

Does diet affect PMS symptoms?

Yes, healthy foods appear to reduce PMS severity while unhealthy foods seem to make it worse. Whole grains, fish, fruits, vegetables and certain vitamins are linked with better outcomes; sugar, fast food and alcohol are linked with more severe symptoms.

Case-control study, 2020

Is diet quality lower in teenagers with PMS?

Yes. Teenagers with PMS have lower diet quality scores. Better diet quality was linked to less anxiety, depression, and sleep problems in girls with PMS.

Randomised trial, 2020

Does whole body vibration work as well as resistive exercise for PMS symptoms?

Yes. Both whole body vibration and resistive exercise significantly reduced PMS symptoms, and they worked about equally well in this study.

Case-control study, 2020

Does height affect menstrual patterns in adolescent girls?

Yes, girls with shorter height had more severe menstrual cramps. However, the age when periods started was similar across all heights, ranging from 12.2 to 12.7 years.

Survey study, 2019

What lifestyle and sleep habits are linked to PMS in teenage girls?

In Japanese high school students, poor sleep quality, long internet use, skipping breakfast, and not playing sports were linked to higher PMS risk, with menstrual pain being the strongest risk factor. This is observational so we cannot be sure these habits cause PMS.

Interview study, 2019

Which PMDD symptoms are most common in college students?

Physical symptoms like pain are most common (91.4%), followed by anger and irritability (84.5%). PMDD causes the biggest problems with family relationships and home responsibilities. About 1 in 10 college students meet PMDD criteria.

Study, 2019

Can an educational health program reduce depression and anxiety in women with PMS?

Yes. An 8-week program on healthy living and mental health reduced depression and anxiety in women with PMS. Depression dropped from 15 to 8.01 on average, and anxiety dropped from 9.1 to 4.73.

Survey study, 2019

What causes severe PMS in female college students with disabilities?

The strongest causes of severe PMS were interpersonal stress, gynecological disease, and irregular exercise. Mindfulness and acceptance were the strongest predictors of symptom relief.

Survey study, 2019

Do girls with PMS have lower vitamin D and calcium levels?

Girls with PMS had lower calcium levels than girls without PMS. Vitamin D was low in both groups with no clear difference between them.

Case-control study, 2019

Does weight and body composition affect the risk of PMS?

Yes, but in a surprising direction. Women with lower BMI had PMS more often than women with higher BMI. Women with PMS also had more muscle and water and less body fat.

Cohort study, 2019

Does low vitamin D raise the risk of PMS?

No, this study found no clear link between vitamin D levels and having PMS overall, though low vitamin D was linked to two specific symptoms, breast tenderness and general aches.

Survey study, 2018

Can we measure PMS in mothers who are raising young children?

Yes. Researchers developed a reliable 38-item scale that measures five main types of PMS in mothers. The scale links to stress and depression risk.

Survey study, 2018

Does vitamin D or calcium level affect PMS symptoms and menstrual bleeding?

Calcium level is linked to heavier menstrual bleeding and irritability, but vitamin D level does not appear linked to PMS symptoms overall.

Survey study, 2018

Do exercise, nutrition, or stress affect how severe PMS symptoms are?

Stress matters. Women with higher perceived stress had more severe PMS symptoms. Exercise intensity and nutrition did not significantly predict PMS severity.

Lab study, 2018

How does depression affect menstrual function and fertility in women?

Women with depression are more likely to have PMS and irregular periods. Depression also appears linked to fewer pregnancies and children. Depression starting at puberty has the worst effects on menstrual and reproductive health.

Case-control study, 2018

Do women with atopic dermatitis have more premenstrual syndrome than women without it?

Yes. Women with atopic dermatitis were 13.26 times more likely to have moderate or severe PMS compared to women without atopic dermatitis. This is a strong association.

Survey study, 2018

Does how women think about menstruation affect their PMS symptoms?

Yes, women who view menstruation as debilitating or bothersome reported more PMS symptoms than those with more positive views.

Survey study, 2018

Does worse premenstrual syndrome reduce marital satisfaction in couples?

Yes. The worse a woman's PMS symptoms, the lower marital satisfaction tends to be for both partners. However, we cannot tell if PMS causes lower satisfaction or lower satisfaction makes PMS feel worse.

Randomised trial, 2017

Can couples therapy help with severe PMS or PMDD more than individual therapy alone?

Yes. Both one-to-one and couple-based CBT reduced premenstrual symptoms and distress compared to a wait-list control, and couple-based CBT added extra benefits for coping skills and relationship quality. This comes from a moderate-sized randomised trial, so results are promising but not definitive.

Cohort study, 2017

How common is PMS in high school students, and what symptoms and problems does it cause?

About 3 in 10 of the Thai high school students in this study had PMS, and the most common symptoms were angry outbursts and breast tenderness. PMS was linked to problems with concentration and schoolwork, but not with how they got along with others.

Cohort study, 2017

How does stress relate to premenstrual symptoms?

Yes. Perceived stress and stress from adjusting to a new culture were the strongest links to symptom severity in Korean international students. In Korean domestic students, a history of sexual abuse was the strongest link.

Cohort study, 2016

Does stress affect premenstrual symptoms in students?

Yes, stress is connected to premenstrual symptoms. In international students, depression explained part of this connection. In domestic students, having social support protected against stress affecting symptoms.

Survey study, 2016

Does hormonal birth control affect sexual desire across the menstrual cycle?

This study of 89 couples found that women on hormonal birth control pills did not show cycle-related changes in sexual desire that naturally cycling women have. Sexual intercourse frequency declined slightly toward the end of pill cycles.

Survey study, 2016

Do paranoid thinking and self-esteem change across the menstrual cycle?

Yes. During the paramenstrual phase (3 days before and after the period), women reported more feelings of persecution, lower positive self-esteem, higher negative self-esteem, and more anxiety and depression compared to mid-cycle. The difference was clear.

Cohort study, 2016

Is inflammation linked to premenstrual symptoms?

Yes, high inflammation (measured as hs-CRP above 3 mg/L) was associated with mood problems, cramping, bloating, and breast pain in this study. Cross-sectional design means we cannot prove inflammation causes these symptoms.

Survey study, 2016

How common is PMS in nursing and midwifery students, and does smoking affect it?

About one in three students (33%) have PMS. Current smokers have much higher rates (52.9%) than never-smokers (28.7%), suggesting smoking is linked to worse PMS.

Randomised trial, 2016

Does vitamin D help with PMS mood symptoms in young women with very low vitamin D?

Yes, vitamin D significantly improved anxiety, irritability, sadness, and relationship problems, while placebo did not. This was in young women with severely low vitamin D levels.

Survey study, 2015

Are neck problems linked to migraines during menstrual periods?

Yes. Women with perimenstrual migraines had more neck problems including reduced movement, tight muscles, and muscle tenderness. Tight muscles, reduced nerve flexibility, and upper spine stiffness were associated with notably higher migraine risk.

Randomised trial, 2015

Does spousal support decrease women's premenstrual syndrome symptoms?

Yes, it does. When spouses received education about supportive behaviors, women's physical and psychological symptoms decreased significantly after 3 months.

Survey study, 2015

What helps high school girls manage premenstrual symptoms?

Understanding how your body and mood change during your menstrual cycle helps reduce premenstrual distress. Family support and understanding also help reduce symptoms.

Cohort study, 2015

How common are PMS and PMDD in young women, and are they connected to depression?

Two-thirds of young women have some PMS symptoms, about 1 in 10 meet the criteria for PMDD, and women with worse PMS or PMDD are significantly more likely to have depression.

Cohort study, 2015

What factors predict anxiety and depression during pregnancy and after birth?

Women are at high risk for anxiety and depression around pregnancy and birth, especially those with prior mental health problems or poor social support, though symptoms vary widely between women.

Cohort study, 2015

Is sleep quality worse before your period?

Yes, but the difference is small. Women reported sleep quality 1.32 points worse on a 1-100 scale before their period, but this gap disappeared when stress was included in the analysis.

Survey study, 2015

Is PMS related to sleep quality and attitudes about periods?

Yes. Women with worse PMS symptoms had worse sleep quality and more negative attitudes about their periods. The associations were statistically significant.

Case-control study, 2015

Does a Western diet increase PMS risk?

Possibly, but evidence is mixed. Women eating more Western diet appear more likely to have PMS, but the pattern is not entirely consistent across all groups.

Survey study, 2014

Do women whose depression started early experience more premenstrual symptoms?

Yes. Women with depression that started at an earlier age were more likely to have premenstrual symptoms. Because data was collected by recall, we cannot be sure about timing or whether premenstrual symptoms came before or after the depression.

Randomised trial, 2014

Does alcohol change brain activity during the menstrual cycle?

Yes. Alcohol changed how the brain worked during thinking tasks, with effects varying by menstrual cycle phase, though the study was small.

Survey study, 2014

Are depression and anxiety linked to period pain in teenage girls?

Yes. Girls with painful periods had higher anxiety and depression scores than those without. Girls with the most severe form of PMS had much higher scores.

Case-control study, 2014

Does past abuse affect pain sensitivity differently in women with menstrual mood disorders?

Yes. Women with menstrual mood disorders who experienced abuse showed greater pain sensitivity and lower stress hormone levels, suggesting abuse affects this group differently.

Survey study, 2014

What psychological factors are linked to premenstrual syndrome?

Psychological factors like difficulty identifying emotions, low social support, neurotic personality, and anxiety are associated with PMS. The strongest link was difficulty identifying emotions, which increased PMS risk 4.39 times.

Randomised trial, 2014

Does teaching married men about PMS improve marital satisfaction?

Yes, when married men learned about PMS through pamphlets or text messages, both their knowledge and the couple's marital satisfaction increased significantly. Both methods worked equally well.

Survey study, 2013

Does stress before learning affect memory differently based on sex and menstrual cycle phase?

Yes. Without stress, women remembered more words than men, but when exposed to stress, men's performance improved to match women's. In the luteal phase, higher stress hormones were linked to worse memory.

Case-control study, 2013

Are stress hormones different in women with PMDD?

Overall stress hormone patterns are similar in PMDD and healthy women, but those with high allopregnanolone (a progesterone derivative) show blunted nighttime cortisol levels.

Survey study, 2013

What lifestyle and diet factors are linked to PMS in young women?

39.85% of students had PMS. Those with PMS were more likely to eat more eggs, drink more alcohol, sleep poorly, have mental health concerns, have a family history of high cholesterol, and have higher cholesterol levels themselves.

Survey study, 2013

Do personality traits affect whether hormone changes cause emotional eating?

Hormone changes predict emotional eating, but personality traits like negative urgency and negative emotionality don't explain why some women are more affected.

Cohort study, 2013

Is premenstrual mood change common, or do other factors matter more?

Only about half of mood measures showed any menstrual cycle connection. Physical health, stress, and social support were far stronger predictors of daily mood than the menstrual cycle phase.

Survey study, 2013

Are menstrual symptoms common in middle-aged women and do they relate to hot flushes?

Cramping is common (54%) but mood symptoms are less frequent (8-9%). Cramping and back pain were associated with hot flushes, suggesting hormonal changes may affect both.

Survey study, 2013

Does more physical activity reduce PMS symptoms?

Yes, women who are more physically active have significantly fewer PMS symptoms. The relationship is very clear and statistically significant (p<0.001).

Randomised trial, 2013

Does psychological education reduce PMS symptoms in teenagers?

Yes. Psychological education significantly reduced overall PMS severity and reduced anxiety and physical symptoms. Effects on depression were minimal, and the intervention did not improve difficulty in relationships.

Survey study, 2012

What menstrual problems are most common in nursing students?

Irregular periods and PMS are very common, affecting 80.7% and 54% of students respectively. Many said these problems affected their daily activities and schoolwork.

Survey study, 2012

How does PMDD affect quality of life?

Women with PMDD have lower quality of life than women without it, with more problems in emotional health, family relationships, and social connections, plus more depression and anxiety.

Survey study, 2012

Is there a link between premenstrual symptoms and period pain in teenage girls?

Yes, girls with worse period pain are more likely to have moderate-to-severe PMS or PMDD. However, this shows correlation, not which problem causes the other.

Survey study, 2012

Is severe PMS linked to psychiatric symptoms like depression and anxiety?

Yes. Women with PMS have significantly higher depression, anxiety, aggression and interpersonal sensitivity than healthy women. These symptoms increase as PMS becomes more severe.

Study, 2011

What non-drug treatments are discussed for PMS?

Many non-drug treatments have been proposed for PMS. The review suggests non-drug approaches may be preferred because medications can have side effects, though this abstract does not specify which treatments work best.

Survey study, 2011

Does mindfulness help with premenstrual symptoms?

Yes. Women who scored higher on mindfulness measures reported fewer premenstrual symptoms. Mindfulness also reduced how much negative attitudes about menstruation affected symptom reporting.

Study, 2011

Does sexual interest change at different times of your menstrual cycle?

Women reported more sexual activity before ovulation, and sexual interest was connected to mood and energy levels rather than just hormones.

Non-randomised trial, 2010

How accurate are different methods for diagnosing menstrual migraine?

Different diagnostic methods identified different women as having menstrual migraine. The strictest method found fewer cases than the standard method, and 20% of women who thought they had menstrual migraines were not diagnosed by either method.

Randomised trial, 2010

Do magnesium and magnesium plus vitamin B6 reduce PMS severity?

Yes. Both magnesium and magnesium plus vitamin B6 reduced PMS symptoms. The combination of magnesium and B6 worked better than magnesium alone or placebo.

Survey study, 2010

How much does moderate to severe PMS affect quality of life and daily activities?

Moderate to severe PMS significantly reduces quality of life and interferes with hobbies, social activities and relationships compared to mild or no symptoms. This is moderate confidence from a large multinational study.

Non-randomised trial, 2010

Does taking eletriptan around the time of menstruation prevent menstrual migraines?

Yes, for most women. Taking eletriptan around menstruation reduced migraine activity by 46% overall. About 53% of women had all three of their menstrual periods completely migraine-free during treatment.

Survey study, 2008

How do eating, sleep, and sexual activity change across the menstrual cycle?

Women ate more and slept worse during their luteal and premenstrual phases. Women who were sexually active had lower stress hormones than those who abstained.

Review, 2007

What is PMS and what treatments work?

PMS affects an estimated 75% of women during the luteal phase of their cycle. Diagnosis is based on symptom tracking, not blood tests. Calcium supplements and SSRIs are treatments with excellent evidence for reducing symptoms.

Cohort study, 2007

Does the combined oral contraceptive pill improve quality of life for women with PMS?

Yes, the pill improved quality of life for women taking it for menstrual pain and PMS symptoms. Women taking it only for contraception had mixed results.

Survey study, 2007

Do personality traits and family support affect how bad premenstrual symptoms are?

Yes. Women with perfectionism had worse PMS, and having supportive relationships with their mother and partner helped reduce this effect.

Case-control study, 2007

Is history of adolescent abuse associated with PMS in adulthood?

Yes. Women who experienced physical or sexual abuse in adolescence had significantly more PMS in adulthood, and their symptoms were more severe with more depression and mood problems.

Survey study, 2007

Does eating more soy affect premenstrual symptoms?

Soy intake had no clear effect on premenstrual or menstrual symptoms. Higher soy intake was linked with some symptoms that happen after menstruation (irritability, mood swings), but this is not typical PMS.

Guideline, 2006

What is the best treatment for PMDD and severe PMS?

SSRIs are first-line therapy for PMDD and severe PMS. They can be taken continuously throughout the month, only during the luteal phase, or with higher doses in the late luteal phase depending on each person.

Case report, 2006

Is holding back your feelings related to worse PMS symptoms?

Yes. Women with PMS who suppress their feelings or try to fit traditional ideas of femininity experienced more premenstrual distress. Women with PMS had higher anxiety than the general population.

Cohort study, 2004

How much does PMS affect work productivity and daily activities?

Women with PMS missed significantly more work (2.5 days per month vs. 1.3 days) and had more low-productivity days (7.2 vs. 4.2 days per month). This shows PMS causes substantial real-world impacts on work and daily life.

Cohort study, 2004

Does stress affect the menstrual cycle?

Over 2 years, women whose stress increased significantly had shorter cycles and shorter bleeds, while women with stable stress had longer cycles. A one-year snapshot showed no link.

Study, 2004

Do women with worse PMS have more stress and lower quality of life?

Yes. Women with high PMS had clearly more stress and lower quality of life compared to women with low PMS. Exercise did not make a clear difference overall in either group.

Survey study, 2002

Does sexual behavior change across different phases of the menstrual cycle?

Sexual behavior varies across cycle phases. Masturbation is highest during the follicular and ovulatory phases for women without a partner, but not for those with a live-in partner. Sexual activity with a partner peaks in the follicular phase for both groups.

Case-control study, 2000

Do eating habits change differently before the period in obese versus non-obese women?

Yes. Both groups show increases in binge-eating symptoms before their period, but the cause differs: in non-obese women, eating changes correlate with mood symptoms, while in obese women they correlate with physical symptoms.

Survey study, 2000

How do mood and physical symptoms change during your menstrual cycle?

Physical symptoms get worse right before and during your period. Birth control pills significantly reduced negative moods. Mood and physical symptoms are separate things that affect each other.

Cohort study, 1999

How common are depression symptoms in women in their late 30s and early 40s, and what predicts them?

About 22% of women aged 36-44 showed depression symptoms. Marital status, smoking, and having children predicted depression risk more than menstrual cycle changes alone.

Study, 1998

How do stress and stress chemicals relate to premenstrual symptoms?

Stress and stress-related chemicals in the body are linked to premenstrual mood and fluid retention symptoms, but the relationships differ depending on whether a woman has PMS or premenstrual magnification.

Survey study, 1998

Does a history of premenstrual problems predict worse symptoms during menopause?

Yes. Women who had premenstrual problems experienced more physical and psychological symptoms during the menopause transition.

Case-control study, 1997

Do women with PMS perceive and handle stress differently at different times of their cycle?

Yes. Women with PMS perceive more stressors and find them more stressful during the premenstrual phase than women without PMS. They also cope with stress differently during this phase.

Case-control study, 1997

Do women over 40 with PMS experience more stress than women without PMS?

Yes. Women with PMS had more negative life events, more difficulty with anger, and more concerns about self-control than women without PMS. They also showed higher physical stress responses.

Study, 1996

Can antidepressants help reduce severe PMS symptoms?

Yes. When antidepressants called serotonergic antidepressants are carefully prescribed, approximately 60 to 70 percent of women with severe PMS report significant symptom reduction.

Survey study, 1995

Does depression, stress, or unhappy relationships cause food cravings during the menstrual cycle?

Depression is very strongly linked to food cravings in all cycle phases. Stress and relationship unhappiness have little or no effect once depression is accounted for. Food cravings without depression still show a cycle pattern, peaking premenstrually.

Study, 1995

Is PMS linked to genes, environment, or personality traits?

PMS, depression, and traits like neuroticism appear to share common genetic influences. However, PMS also has specific environmental causes separate from personality traits.

Cohort study, 1995

Is premenstrual and menstrual depression linked to pain and menstrual bleeding?

Premenstrual and menstrual depression is strongly associated with pain during these times, though the relationship with bleeding is weaker. It remains unclear whether depression makes pain feel worse, pain triggers depression, or another factor causes both.

Cohort study, 1995

Does premenstrual syndrome get worse as women age?

No. Symptoms actually decreased with age. The worst time for severe PMS was in women's late twenties through mid-thirties, not later in life.

Interview study, 1995

What is the difference in menstrual cycle symptoms between women with and without premenstrual symptoms?

Both groups experienced more physical symptoms in the days before their period, but only women with premenstrual symptoms experienced increased mood symptoms during that time. Women with premenstrual symptoms had higher scores for both mood and physical symptoms overall.

Cohort study, 1995

Are depression and difficulty understanding emotions linked to PMS symptoms?

In women with PMS who also have depression, yes. Women with PMS but low depression were similar to women without PMS on all measures tested.

Survey study, 1994

How do food, serotonin, and mood relate in PMS and other conditions?

This review discusses how serotonin, a brain chemical, affects mood and eating in conditions including PMS. It suggests that treatments like antidepressants (SSRIs) and light therapy may work for these conditions because they involve similar serotonin problems.

Case-control study, 1994

Do women with PMS respond to stress differently than other women?

Yes. Women with premenstrual dysphoria rate daily stressors as more stressful and seek social support more often than other women, especially before their period.

Survey study, 1994

Does sexual interest change across the menstrual cycle and relate to hormone levels?

Yes, sexual interest is significantly higher in the follicular and ovulatory phases than in the luteal and premenstrual phases, but this pattern is not explained by estrogen or progesterone levels.

Cohort study, 1993

Are premenstrual symptoms linked to emotional distress in teenage girls?

Yes. Girls with premenstrual symptoms had significantly more emotional distress than those without, but period pain alone was not linked to emotional distress.

Cohort study, 1993

When are new mothers most likely to get depression - right after birth or later?

Depression peaked at 10 weeks after birth, not immediately afterward. PMS before pregnancy was only linked to postpartum depression once women's periods restarted.

Randomised trial, 1993

Does oral contraceptive help PMS and affect sexual interest?

The oral contraceptive improved mood during the premenstrual phase but decreased sexual interest during the menstrual and postmenstrual phases. The mood improvement was not the cause of the decreased sexual interest.

Survey study, 1991

Does how your brain responds to images change during your menstrual cycle?

A specific type of brain wave activity changed based on hormone levels: it was strongest for babies and male faces when progesterone was high, and women found all images more pleasant when estrogen was high.

Survey study, 1990

Are premenstrual symptoms related to how well a woman feels overall?

Yes. Premenstrual symptoms and general well-being are closely connected, and premenstrual symptoms tend to stay about the same from year to year. Women with low well-being and premenstrual symptoms were also more depressed.

Survey study, 1990

Does the type of contraceptive pill affect premenstrual symptoms?

Women taking a monophasic pill (steady hormone levels) had less breast tenderness before their period than women on other pills or no hormonal contraceptives. Other premenstrual symptoms were similar across all groups.

Survey study, 1989

Does PMS get worse with higher hormone levels?

Yes, women with PMS have worse symptoms in months when their estradiol and progesterone levels are high. This contradicts the theory that PMS is caused by low progesterone.

Cohort study, 1989

How much do PMS symptoms actually change with the menstrual cycle?

Physical symptoms like breast pain change reliably with the cycle, but emotional symptoms don't follow this pattern in most women. Only about one-third had emotional symptoms that mostly disappeared after their period.

Survey study, 1988

Do women with PMS have higher rates of postpartum depression and birth control side effects?

Yes. Among women who had given birth, 62.6% of those with PMS had experienced postpartum depression compared to 41.4% without PMS. Among those with postpartum depression, 69.8% of PMS patients reported birth control side effects compared to 38.9% of controls.

Lab study, 1987

Can what women expect about PMS actually cause mood changes during their cycle?

Yes. When women were led to expect that their mood would worsen before their period, their daily moods actually did get worse during the cycle. When expectations were changed to be more positive, mood changes were less severe.

Survey study, 1986

How much do premenstrual symptoms interfere with women's daily activities?

Significantly. In a survey of 219 women, 76% reported premenstrual symptoms severe enough to interfere with daily activities every month. Relationships with family and friends were affected most, and work affected least.

Survey study, 1985

Are women with PMS mood changes more likely to have depression?

Yes, strongly. Women with a depression history are much more likely to have severe PMS mood symptoms, and most women with severe PMS mood symptoms have also had depression at some point.

Survey study, 1985

Do stress and how you were raised affect premenstrual symptoms?

Yes. Stress and traditional upbringing both influence premenstrual symptoms, especially mood changes. Mood changes appear to be the most important cause of premenstrual disability.

Study, 1983

Why do moods change during the menstrual cycle in women with PMS?

Negative moods start after ovulation and peak in the last 5 days before menstruation, then improve within one or two days of menstruation. However, hormone levels don't differ between women with big mood changes and those with small changes.

Case report, 2026

Can anxiety and PMDD trigger binge drinking, and can medication help?

This single case shows that a woman whose binge drinking episodes were triggered by anxiety and linked to her PMDD improved with medication: her anxiety and drinking urges decreased, and she had no new drinking episodes at 12 weeks.

Survey study, 2026

Is good nutrition linked to less PMS in teenage girls?

Yes, there is a significant but weak link. Better nutritional status was slightly associated with fewer PMS symptoms.

Non-randomised trial, 2026

Do women experience more aggression and impulsiveness before their period?

Yes. A study of 40 young women found aggression and impulsiveness were significantly higher during the 7 days before menstruation compared to the 7 days after.

Survey study, 2026

Why is understanding PMS awareness in teenage girls important?

PMS is under-recognized in adolescents and many teenage girls have knowledge gaps about it. Better awareness and education could help young women recognize and manage symptoms earlier.

Survey study, 2026

Is anxiety linked to irregular menstrual cycles in teenage girls?

Yes. Among 65 high school students in Indonesia, those with higher anxiety levels were significantly more likely to have irregular menstrual cycles. The relationship was strong and statistically significant.

Cohort study, 2026

Are eating behaviors linked to how severe a woman's PMS symptoms are?

Yes, women with severe PMS showed different eating behaviors than those with milder symptoms, particularly in hunger and fullness recognition. However, the study shows only correlation, not whether eating patterns cause PMS.

Survey study, 2026

Do teen girls with ADHD have more suicidal thoughts when angry before their period?

Teen girls with ADHD are more likely to have PMDD and premenstrual anger. However, overall depression appears to be the main driver of suicide risk, not premenstrual anger alone.

Cohort study, 2026

Does brain structure differ between women with PMDD and healthy controls?

Cannot be answered. The provided abstract contains only background information and cuts off mid-sentence, with no results presented from this study.

Survey study, 2026

Do girls who experienced childhood abuse or neglect have higher PMDD symptoms?

Yes. Girls who experienced childhood abuse or neglect reported higher PMDD symptoms compared to girls with limited abuse or neglect. This is a cross-sectional study, so we cannot know if maltreatment causes PMDD.

Survey study, 2026

Does climate change stress and anxiety increase premenstrual syndrome symptoms in nursing students?

Nursing students who felt stressed and anxious about climate change were more likely to have premenstrual symptoms. The eco-anxiety appeared to play a connecting role.

Cohort study, 2026

Can one questionnaire help doctors tell the difference between PMS, PMDD, and other mood disorders?

Researchers created a new questionnaire called COMPASS designed to help doctors distinguish PMS, PMDD, and perimenopause from conditions like depression, personality disorders, and trauma disorders that cause similar symptoms.

Survey study, 2026

Is low calcium linked to worse PMS symptoms?

Low calcium was linked to worse PMS symptoms, but the connection was weak. The study was small and from one school, so we cannot be sure this applies to all girls.

Survey study, 2026

How common is PMS in adolescents and what factors relate to it?

PMS was detected in 73.3% of adolescents aged 12-18. Older age and later age at menarche were associated with higher PMS scores.

Interview study, 2026

What is life like for married women with PMS?

Married women with PMS experience considerable distress and challenges in their relationships. Many report feeling neglected or misunderstood by their partners.

Interview study, 2026

How does PMDD change how women feel about themselves in their relationships?

This study interviewed 20 women with PMDD to understand how the condition affects their sense of self as partners, mothers, and friends. The abstract does not include what the researchers actually found.

Survey study, 2026

Is diet quality linked to how severe PMS is in college students?

Yes. Female college students who perceived their diet as balanced had less severe PMS than those who perceived their diet as poor or needing improvement.

Interview study, 2026

How does PMDD affect eating behaviors?

People with PMDD have eating patterns that change across their menstrual cycle, including binge eating, restrictive eating, and purging. Many struggle to get support because healthcare providers don't understand PMDD well enough.

Cohort study, 2026

Can difficulty expressing emotions explain why childhood trauma increases PMS symptoms?

Yes. Childhood trauma increases difficulty identifying and expressing emotions (called alexithymia), which in turn increases PMS symptoms. This pathway explains part of the connection.

Survey study, 2026

Does PMS make it harder for women to work and do daily activities?

Women with PMS did not perform worse on specific work tasks, but those with more severe PMS reported lower quality of life. Maintaining a regular daily routine appeared to help work performance in women with PMS.

Survey study, 2026

Do difficult childhood experiences lead to worse PMS symptoms as an adult?

Yes. Among 399 university students in Türkiye, 71.7% had PMS symptoms, and those who reported difficult childhood experiences had worse PMS symptoms. Difficult childhood experiences and worse PMS were clearly linked.

Survey study, 2026

Does PMS affect how well young women sleep?

This study set out to check whether premenstrual syndrome is linked to poorer sleep in women aged 18 to 25, but the text available here only describes the background and methods, not the actual results, so no clear answer can be given from what is provided.

Non-randomised trial, 2026

Are the most bothersome premenstrual symptoms physical or emotional?

Emotional symptoms like stress, anxiety, and depression are reported at much higher levels than physical symptoms. Married women experience significantly more emotional distress than unmarried women.

Survey study, 2026

Is obesity linked to worse PMS symptoms and menstrual problems?

Yes, obese women had much more PMS (113.83 vs. 62.5 severity score) and more depression and anxiety (97.5% vs. 47.5%). However, this small hospital study in Bangladesh can't tell us if weight loss would reduce PMS.

Review, 2026

What should doctors know about PMS and PMDD in teenagers?

PMS and PMDD are common in teenagers and affect school, friendships, and mental health because the body is overly sensitive to normal hormone changes. SSRIs (antidepressants), birth control pills, exercise, therapy, and lifestyle changes can help, though most evidence comes from adult studies.

Study, 2026

How does PMDD affect women's work and careers?

PMDD causes major challenges at work. Women struggle with concentration, relationships with coworkers, and confidence during the two weeks before their period. They may continue working but do not perform at their usual level, affecting long-term career development.

Case report, 2026

Does psychotherapy help with premenstrual increases in sexual desire and thoughts?

Yes. Psychotherapy reduced sexual distress in three women with cyclical increases in sexual desire before menstruation.

Survey study, 2026

How many teenage girls in Nepal have PMS and how does it affect them?

Almost two-thirds of teenage girls in this school have PMS. It most strongly affects their friendships and school engagement, but less than 5% report low grades.

Survey study, 2026

Do childhood adversity and psychological factors predict how severe PMS is?

Yes. Childhood adversity, difficulty expressing emotions, and psychological distress all significantly predict worse PMS.

Survey study, 2026

Is PMS or PMDD linked to eating disorders?

Yes. Women with PMDD had higher scores for eating disorders, emotional eating, and uncontrolled eating than women without PMS. The link between PMDD and emotional eating was strongest in overweight women.

Survey study, 2026

Are poor sleep and high stress linked to worse PMS symptoms in students?

Yes, students with poorer sleep and higher stress tended to report more severe PMS symptoms, but this survey cannot prove that stress or poor sleep actually cause PMS.

Survey study, 2026

Does eating foods that cause inflammation link to worse food cravings and mood problems in women with PMS?

The study found that eating more fat and saturated fat linked to more food cravings. The abstract cuts off before showing complete results about mood and inflammation.

Survey study, 2026

Does self-injury or difficult childhood experiences increase PMDD risk in adolescents?

Yes. This study found clear relationships between self-injurious behavior and PMDD, and between adverse childhood experiences and PMDD in adolescent girls, suggesting both are risk factors.

Survey study, 2026

Does eating more antioxidant-rich foods help prevent or reduce PMS?

Yes. Women eating the most antioxidant-rich foods had 64% lower odds of PMS than those eating the least, with the biggest improvements in anxiety, exhaustion, irritability, depression and muscle/joint pain.

Survey study, 2026

Do women with severe PMS symptoms have higher odds of eating disorders?

Yes. Women with worse PMS have higher odds of eating disorders, mainly because they tend to engage in more emotional eating and food addiction, particularly if they have unhelpful thinking patterns.

Survey study, 2026

Do mindfulness, self-compassion and sense of coherence protect against severe PMS and PMDD?

Possibly yes. These psychological factors appeared to reduce the impact of stress and trauma on PMS and PMDD symptoms.

Survey study, 2026

Do childhood traumas affect how women cope with PMS?

Yes. Women who experienced childhood trauma reported worse ways of coping with PMS, and this was partly because of harmful beliefs about sexuality that developed from their trauma.

Survey study, 2026

Does physical activity help reduce PMS symptoms in female students?

Yes. Women with moderate to heavy physical activity had significantly less frequent and less severe PMS compared to those with light physical activity.

Survey study, 2026

Does being kind to yourself help reduce how negative attitudes about menstruation worsen PMS symptoms?

Being kind to yourself (self-compassion) appears to reduce the connection between negative menstrual attitudes and PMS symptoms. However, this finding comes from one study where women volunteered online, so it is not yet proven.

Survey study, 2026

Does smartphone use affect PMS symptoms through sleep?

Smartphone use is linked to worse sleep and more PMS symptoms. Poor sleep partly explains the connection between smartphone use and PMS.

Survey study, 2026

Does physical activity reduce the effect of climate anxiety on PMS?

Yes. Climate anxiety increases PMS symptoms, but physical activity has a protective effect that reduces this relationship.

Survey study, 2026

Is PMS linked to sleep quality in young women?

In university students, 99.8% had PMS and 86.8% had poor sleep quality. Students with poor sleep had higher PMS scores.

Survey study, 2026

Is climate change worry linked to worse PMS and lower quality of life?

Yes. Women more worried about climate change have worse PMS symptoms and lower quality of life, both physically and mentally, though the study cannot prove anxiety causes PMS.

Survey study, 2026

Does poor nutrition and eating junk food affect PMS?

Yes, girls with higher BMI and those who ate junk food or fast food had worse PMS symptoms. Results only apply to this school.

Survey study, 2026

Is there a link between PMS symptom severity and daily stress hormone levels?

Women who reported worse PMS symptoms had lower cortisol (stress hormone) levels during the day. Cortisol patterns varied slightly across cycle phases, suggesting stress hormones may play a role in PMS, though this was a very small study.

Survey study, 2026

Is there a link between how severe PMS is and mood swings?

Yes. The worse the PMS, the worse the mood tends to be. There was a statistically significant but weak to moderate link between PMS severity and mood.

Survey study, 2026

Do trauma and stress worsen PMS symptoms, and does how you think about events matter?

Yes. Trauma and stress are strongly linked to worse PMS. The connection may work partly through how women interpret events and how much anger they feel.

Survey study, 2026

Do emotional traits and emotion regulation affect PMS and PMDD?

Yes. Women with negative personality traits and difficulty accepting emotions were more likely to have PMS or PMDD. These emotional factors appear to play a role in these conditions.

Survey study, 2026

Does diet affect PMS differently depending on a woman's gut bacteria?

In this small study, women who produced equol (a chemical made by gut bacteria from soy) showed no link between eating vegetables and worse PMS, while women without equol showed a link. The study is too small and observational to know if changing diet helps.

Interview study, 2026

What do women and their partners think about a PMS tracking app?

Users appreciated features that help understand symptom patterns and context, and liked partner-sharing and AI suggestions. This shows what people want, but not whether the app improves health.

Survey study, 2025

How do social support and physical activity affect PMS?

Women with more social support and those who exercised more had fewer PMS symptoms. Socioeconomic status and age also played a role.

Survey study, 2025

Is there a link between premenstrual syndrome and obsessive-compulsive symptoms?

Yes, 74.2% of young women had PMS and showed significantly higher obsessive-compulsive symptoms than those without PMS, particularly in rumination. The link suggests PMS and psychological symptoms are connected.

Survey study, 2025

Does academic stress and delaying sleep affect PMS symptoms?

Academic stress and bedtime procrastination (delaying going to sleep) were both clearly related to PMS symptoms in nursing students.

Cohort study, 2025

Does worse PMS pain and concentration problems affect a woman's balance during her cycle?

Yes. Women with more pain and concentration problems during menstruation had poorer balance. Women with worse overall symptoms before their period also had poorer balance, though the study was very small with no comparison group.

Interview study, 2025

Does sleep quality affect how severe PMS symptoms are?

Yes. Poor sleep was linked to more severe PMS symptoms, including anger, anxiety, mood changes, and fatigue.

Survey study, 2025

Does having asthma or eczema make premenstrual symptoms worse?

Yes. Women with asthma had symptom scores 2.68 points higher than those without, and women with both conditions had scores 4.8 points higher. This cross-sectional study cannot establish whether asthma causes worse PMS.

Survey study, 2025

Does the COVID-19 vaccine affect menstrual cycles and PMS symptoms?

Yes. The study found a clear link between COVID-19 vaccination and menstrual cycle changes, with more changes in certain age groups and those with different period patterns.

Cohort study, 2025

Are there differences in brain structure and inflammation in women with PMS?

Yes. Women with PMS showed differences in certain brain white matter pathways and higher levels of two inflammation markers compared with women without PMS, and these changes were linked to how severe their symptoms were.

Cohort study, 2025

Does online health literacy link to better menstrual and mental health in teenage girls?

Yes, teenage girls better at finding and understanding online health information report less severe premenstrual symptoms, lower anxiety and loneliness, and higher self-esteem. This is an association, not proof of cause and effect.

Survey study, 2025

Can a plant-based supplement reduce PMS symptoms?

Yes, a multi-ingredient plant-based supplement taken daily for three months significantly reduced anger, irritability, mood problems, and other PMS symptoms in most women. Without a control group, some improvement might be due to placebo effect or natural changes over time.

Interview study, 2025

How do cultural beliefs about menstruation affect adolescent girls' PMS experiences?

Yes, cultural beliefs strongly influenced how girls experienced PMS, with cultural stigma and social pressure increasing stress, shame, and isolation. Social support, education, and changing cultural attitudes can reduce these negative effects.

Survey study, 2025

Do hormone levels during the menstrual cycle affect visual memory?

Hormone levels do not clearly affect how well women remember visual information. Age was more important than hormones.

Survey study, 2025

What factors affect premenstrual syndrome in teenage girls?

Physical activity, vitamin D intake, and sleep quality all affect PMS risk, with physical activity being the strongest factor.

Survey study, 2025

Is PMS linked to fear of childbirth in first-time pregnant women?

Yes, nearly half of first-time pregnant women experienced fear of childbirth, and PMS showed a moderate link to it. Poor sleep, weak support, and relationship problems also mattered.

Interview study, 2025

How do young lesbian women experience PMS and does partner support affect it?

They reported typical PMS symptoms like irritability and depression. Unlike in studies of heterosexual women where PMS causes conflict, these women found that supportive partners and open communication actually reduced the burden.

Survey study, 2025

How do menstrual health and mental health affect each other?

Menstrual problems like PMS, painful periods, and endometriosis affect mood, stress, and thinking. Poor mental health can make menstrual symptoms worse. Connections involve hormones, emotions like stigma and body image, and social factors like education and hygiene access.

Survey study, 2025

Are mental health problems linked to period pain and lack of support?

Yes. About 29% of girls experienced anxiety, 14% stress, and 32% depression. Those with moderate or severe period pain or without support during menstruation were more likely to experience these mental health problems.

Study, 2025

Could ginkgo biloba, soy, and other nutrients help hormone-related mood problems like PMS and PMDD?

This paper presents a theoretical model suggesting ginkgo biloba, soy isoflavones, and supporting nutrients might together support hormone, blood vessel, and brain chemical balance in conditions such as PMS and PMDD. It is not a new study in women, so we cannot know how well it works.

Survey study, 2025

What do women with PMDD want in a mental health program?

Women want programs that address serious mental health impacts like suicidal thoughts, hopelessness, and anxiety, plus effects on relationships. They also want evidence-based information and techniques for managing difficult emotions.

Survey study, 2025

Does childhood trauma affect PMS symptoms and how women experience childbirth?

Yes, childhood trauma, especially emotional and physical neglect, was linked to both PMS and traumatic childbirth perception. Reproductive health education appeared to reduce this effect.

Survey study, 2025

Is PMS related to stress or self-esteem?

No significant relationship was found. The study showed no meaningful connection between PMS and stress, and no meaningful connection between PMS and self-esteem.

Survey study, 2025

Does what women eat affect how severe their PMS is?

The study suggests that specific nutrients may influence PMS severity, but the abstract does not specify which nutrients or how strong the effect is.

Survey study, 2025

Does period pain affect memory and thinking?

Yes. Women with period pain showed clear decreases in memory and thinking abilities on the worst day of their period and on day 3 of menstruation.

Survey study, 2025

Does following a Mediterranean diet reduce PMS?

Following a Mediterranean diet overall does not appear to reduce PMS risk, but women with PMS tended to drink more wine.

Survey study, 2025

Is premenstrual syndrome linked to eating disorders in teenage girls?

Yes. Girls with PMS symptoms had higher rates of eating disorders, particularly those with psychological and behavioral symptoms.

Survey study, 2025

Is appetite related to PMS symptoms in medical students?

Yes, there is a weak positive relationship that was statistically significant (p<0.001). As PMS symptoms become more severe, appetite increases; 81.2% reported increased appetite during PMS.

Survey study, 2025

Is PMS linked to changes in eating behavior?

Yes. Women with PMS had more uncontrolled eating and emotional eating compared to women without PMS. However, this only shows the behaviors go together, not that PMS causes them.

Survey study, 2025

Do sleep problems and stress increase PMS symptoms in nursing students?

Yes. Students with poor sleep had a 6-fold higher risk of severe PMS, and those with high academic stress had a 29-fold higher risk.

Survey study, 2025

Is low hemoglobin linked to worse PMS?

Yes, there is a relationship between hemoglobin levels and PMS severity. Low hemoglobin may worsen PMS symptoms by reducing oxygen in the blood.

Survey study, 2025

How common is PMS in high school girls, and which non-drug methods help reduce anxiety and stress?

About 25% of high school girls had PMS. The most common non-drug methods used were yoga (58%), prayer (17.5%), and exercise.

Survey study, 2025

How much does PMS interfere with medical students' studies?

PMS is very common in medical students (65.4%) and causes significant disruption. Most students (85.9%) report some impairment during the premenstrual period, including worse exam performance, missed classes, and difficulty concentrating.

Survey study, 2025

What lifestyle and body composition factors are associated with PMS in young women?

Extra caffeine and salt consumption were significantly linked to PMS. Poor diet, alcohol, and smoking were also associated with menstrual problems, and PMS severely affected social life and daily activities.

Interview study, 2025

What is dysphoria and how does it feel in premenstrual disorder?

Dysphoria is a mood state where the world feels oppressive and pressing. In premenstrual disorder, it shows as irritability, mood instability, physical restlessness, and loss of control. Unlike depression, it typically stops when menstruation begins.

Survey study, 2025

Is there a relationship between anxiety and PMS in female adolescents?

Yes. Adolescents with severe anxiety had 1.6 times higher risk of PMS than those with mild anxiety. Most adolescents in the study had mild anxiety and no PMS.

Survey study, 2025

Does caffeine affect the menstrual cycle?

A study of female medical students found a significant link between caffeine drinks and menstrual cycle changes, but the abstract does not specify what the effects were.

Cohort study, 2025

Does personality type affect how severe PMS symptoms are?

Yes. Women with higher neuroticism (emotional instability) experience more severe PMS symptoms, and openness to experience also showed a weaker link to PMS severity.

Cohort study, 2025

Does PMS affect mental health and sleep-wake cycles?

Yes. Women with PMS have significantly higher depression and anxiety than those without PMS. Sleep-wake timing irregularities may also play a role, though the relationship is unclear.

Survey study, 2025

Do personality traits and emotion control affect PMS?

Women with lower self-directedness and cooperativeness, and higher harm avoidance, tend to have PMS. Difficulty controlling emotions partly explains this link.

Survey study, 2025

Does stress cause PMS in adolescents?

Strong link between stress and PMS: only 6.7% of mildly stressed girls had PMS, but 95.9% of severely stressed girls did. Sleep and exercise seemed protective.

Survey study, 2025

Are violent tendencies linked to premenstrual symptoms?

Students with higher PMS symptoms, especially anxiety, irritability, and sleep problems, had higher violence tendency scores. This shows a link in the data but doesn't prove that PMS causes violence.

Cohort study, 2025

Does trait anger explain why trauma and stress lead to premenstrual disorder symptoms?

Trait anger appears to be the key factor linking trauma and stress to premenstrual disorder symptoms. Anger affects the actual symptoms themselves, while rumination and sense of control only affect how women perceive the severity of their symptoms.

Review, 2025

How do trauma and sensory processing affect PMDD symptoms?

Trauma-related changes to the brain heighten sensitivity to sensory input and emotions, which can worsen PMDD symptoms during the luteal phase. Understanding trauma and sensory factors may improve how PMDD is diagnosed and treated.

Survey study, 2024

Are stress, obesity, and lack of exercise related to PMS in teenage girls?

Yes. The study found a clear relationship between all three factors and PMS. Girls with stress, obesity, and irregular exercise habits were more likely to have PMS.

Cohort study, 2024

Which premenstrual symptoms are reliable for diagnosing PMS?

None of the symptoms studied were both sensitive and specific enough to reliably diagnose PMS on their own. Some symptoms like diarrhea were very specific but rarely detected PMS, while others like body discomfort were sensitive but not specific.

Survey study, 2024

Do daughters' premenstrual symptoms match their mothers' previous premenstrual symptoms?

Some symptoms like anxiety and bloating were similar between mothers and daughters. Daughters' anxiety and fatigue were linked to their mothers' psychological menopausal symptoms.

Non-randomised trial, 2024

Does cognitive-behavioral or mindfulness stress management help reduce PMS in high school girls?

The study compared cognitive-behavioral and mindfulness stress management for PMS in high school girls, but the results section of the abstract was not provided, so the effectiveness is unknown.

Survey study, 2024

What factors are linked to PMDD in female university students?

PMDD is common in this student population (62.6%), and appears linked to severe menstrual pain, irregular cycles, poor social support, and using contraception. Results come from one university in Ethiopia and may not apply elsewhere.

Interview study, 2024

How does PMDD affect eating behaviors, and what barriers do people face seeking help?

People with PMDD experience disordered eating patterns including binge eating and restrictive eating, but this is very limited evidence from only 13 people in the UK.

Survey study, 2024

Is there a link between body weight and PMS?

Yes, there is a connection between body mass index and PMS (p=0.00 with a correlation of 0.456). We do not know from this study whether weight causes PMS or if PMS affects weight, or if both are caused by something else.

Survey study, 2024

Are eating patterns and rest patterns related to PMS?

Yes, both eating patterns and rest patterns are significantly associated with PMS in these midwifery students.

Survey study, 2024

Is PMS linked to worse sleep quality in women?

Yes, women with PMS tend to have worse sleep quality. The relationship is statistically significant (p=0.005) but the connection is weak, so other factors matter too.

Survey study, 2024

Does childhood abuse increase premenstrual syndrome through suicidal thoughts?

Yes. Women who experienced childhood abuse were more likely to have PMS, partly through increased suicidal thoughts. Different types of abuse had slightly different patterns.

Case report, 2024

How is PMDD diagnosed and treated in teenagers?

One 19-year-old girl with severe cyclical mood symptoms was diagnosed with PMDD by tracking symptoms for two menstrual cycles and improved markedly after starting an SSRI and birth control pills.

Interview study, 2024

What do men think about menstruation and menstrual discs?

Most male clients had limited knowledge and viewed menstruation as dirty or risky. When shown a menstrual disc, most accepted it as safe and hygienic.

Survey study, 2024

Do women with PMS see exercise differently than women without PMS?

Women with PMS see more barriers to exercise and fewer benefits than women without PMS. Women who are more physically active and body-aware see fewer barriers and more benefits to exercise.

Survey study, 2024

How common is PMDD among medical students, and is it linked to stress?

About one in six health science students had PMDD, and one in four had PMS. Students with PMDD or moderate-to-severe PMS had notably higher stress levels than those without these symptoms.

Survey study, 2024

How many Egyptian women have PMDD and what do they know about it?

10% of women at two clinics had PMDD. About 47% had good knowledge about it. Most women believed awareness was important, but few discussed it with doctors.

Survey study, 2024

Are physical activity, body weight, and blood pressure linked to PMS in adolescent girls?

Girls with low physical activity and higher body weight were more likely to have PMS, but blood pressure showed no relationship. This was a small survey of 212 girls in one school in Indonesia, so findings may not apply to other populations.

Survey study, 2024

Does nutrient intake and appetite change during the menstrual cycle relate to PMS symptoms?

Women who eat more carbohydrates, protein, fat, and saturated fat have worse PMS symptoms including anxiety, irritability, depression, pain, fatigue, and sleep problems. Higher appetite also correlates with worse mood and fatigue.

Survey study, 2024

Is physical activity linked to less PMS?

In 500 college students, overall PMS severity was not significantly linked to physical activity levels. However, behavioral symptoms of PMS were significantly linked to activity levels.

Survey study, 2024

Do women with PMS have different hormone levels?

Women with PMS have lower progesterone levels throughout the luteal phase, with the biggest drop near the end of the cycle. However, hormone levels alone are not reliable enough to diagnose PMS.

Randomised trial, 2024

Does what you eat affect PMS symptoms?

Maybe. This review suggests that eating less sugar, fat, salt and alcohol, and more fresh whole foods rich in certain vitamins and minerals, may help, but the researchers say there isn't yet strong enough evidence to give firm advice.

Survey study, 2024

How do hormonal changes during the menstrual cycle affect gut health and mood?

Hormonal changes during the menstrual cycle affect the bacteria in the gut and mood. Higher progesterone levels in the premenstrual phase are linked with worse bloating, constipation, and mood swings. Approximately 50% to 80% of women experience premenstrual symptoms that affect daily life.

Study, 2024

How does PMDD affect women's daily lives?

Women with PMDD report that their symptoms severely disrupt relationships, work, education, and self-image during the premenstrual phase. Healthcare providers often lack understanding of the condition.

Survey study, 2024

Is body fat percentage linked to PMS in teenage girls?

Yes. Body fat percentage was the strongest factor linked to PMS. Adolescents with higher body fat had significantly higher odds of having PMS (odds ratio 2.468).

Survey study, 2024

Do PMS and period pain affect how well adolescents sleep?

Yes. Adolescents with PMS or period pain had clearly worse sleep quality than those without these problems.

Survey study, 2024

Does knowing about Ayurvedic yoga make teenage girls more interested in practicing it for PMS?

Yes, teenage girls with more knowledge about Ayurvedic yoga were significantly more interested in practicing it (p=0.00).

Survey study, 2024

Do chemicals that disrupt hormones and social support affect stress in nursing students with PMS?

Yes. Social support strongly reduces stress in nursing students with PMS, and avoiding chemicals that disrupt hormones may also help.

Survey study, 2024

What are the most common PMS symptoms in medical students and what lifestyle factors make them worse?

Anxiety, bloating, and breast tenderness are most common. Coffee drinking, eating sweets, smoking, and heavier periods are linked to worse symptoms, though this doesn't prove they cause PMS.

Survey study, 2024

Does anxiety change at different times during the menstrual cycle in teenage girls?

Yes. Girls had higher anxiety overall than boys. Among girls, those in the luteal phase before their period had higher anxiety than those in the menstrual phase.

Survey study, 2024

Is exposure to chemicals that disrupt hormones linked to more severe PMS?

Yes. There was a statistically significant positive correlation between endocrine disruptor exposure and PMS severity (r = 0.196, p = 0.014), though the relationship was modest.

Survey study, 2024

Does knowing more about PMS help high school girls manage stress about their symptoms?

Yes. There was a statistically significant relationship between knowledge about PMS and stress levels (p = 0.000), with girls having more knowledge reporting lower stress.

Survey study, 2024

Does nutrition and physical activity affect PMS symptoms?

Women with worse PMS symptoms eat fewer nutrients. More physical activity was linked with worse PMS symptoms, which is opposite to what researchers expected.

Survey study, 2024

How common is PMS in women with phenylketonuria, and does blood phenylalanine level predict symptoms?

39.1% of women with PKU experience PMS, with fatigue (55.4%), appetite changes (59.4%), and irritability (52.7%) being the most common symptoms. Blood phenylalanine levels did not predict who has PMS symptoms.

Survey study, 2024

How do premenstrual symptoms affect quality of life in women with ankylosing spondylitis?

Results are not provided in the available abstract. The study aimed to examine this relationship but findings are not included in the text provided.

Survey study, 2024

Does diet affect premenstrual syndrome symptoms?

The study found that breakfast and lunch intake were related to PMS, and women with PMS ate more total energy daily but less protein. We cannot be sure diet causes PMS from this study alone.

Survey study, 2024

Are personality traits linked to PMS?

Yes, personality traits predicted PMS severity. Being more introverted, emotionally reactive, and inconsistent were linked to more PMS symptoms. About two-thirds of students had PMS.

Survey study, 2024

Is PMS linked to insomnia in female medical students?

Yes, there was a statistically significant relationship between PMS and insomnia in the students studied.

Survey study, 2024

Does stress affect the menstrual cycle in college students?

Yes, there is a significant relationship between stress level and menstrual cycle in this study. However, this is cross-sectional so we cannot be sure stress causes menstrual changes rather than the reverse.

Survey study, 2024

Do women with worse PMS use more complementary and alternative medicine?

No clear relationship was found between PMS symptom severity and attitudes toward complementary medicine. However, women with PMS commonly use self-help methods.

Survey study, 2024

Does academic stress cause worse PMS symptoms in teenage girls?

Yes, there is a clear relationship. Teenage girls with higher academic stress reported worse PMS symptoms.

Survey study, 2024

Is stress linked to premenstrual syndrome?

The study found no significant connection between stress levels and PMS in 48 midwifery students. The researchers note that PMS likely has many causes, not just stress.

Study, 2024

How do different types of premenstrual symptoms change during the menstrual cycle?

Different types of symptoms follow different patterns. Physical symptoms increase and decrease more sharply than mood and relationship symptoms, which are milder throughout the cycle.

Survey study, 2024

Are difficult family relationships and skin problems linked to PMS?

Women with PMS were much more likely to report bad family relationships than healthy women (51% versus 20%). About 30% of women with PMS had acne.

Survey study, 2023

Does having worse PMS symptoms mean a woman is more likely to feel depressed during pregnancy?

Yes, in this study the mood-related symptoms of PMS, such as low mood, anxiety and poor sleep, strongly predicted depressive symptoms in early pregnancy, which then predicted depression later in pregnancy. This is one observational study, so it shows a link, not a cause-and-effect proof.

Survey study, 2023

Is there a link between PMS, aggression, and weight in teenage girls?

Yes. As PMS symptoms got worse, aggression increased. Girls with higher weight also had more PMS and more aggression.

Survey study, 2023

Is PMS linked to poor sleep and negative feelings about menstruation?

Yes, worse PMS symptoms are strongly linked to poorer sleep quality and more negative attitudes toward menstruation.

Survey study, 2023

Is there a link between PMS symptoms and how the nervous system controls heart rate?

Possibly. Three women showed medium to high connections between their PMS symptoms and heart rate variability throughout the menstrual cycle, especially for mood symptoms.

Survey study, 2023

Does attachment style affect how severe premenstrual symptoms are?

For women not on hormonal birth control, yes. Women with anxious attachment (being very worried in relationships) had more severe premenstrual symptoms through difficulty controlling emotions. Women on hormonal contraception did not show this pattern.

Survey study, 2023

Did COVID-19 lockdown change menstrual cycle length and sleep?

Yes, lockdown was linked to changes in menstrual cycle length for most women, and these changes reversed when lockdown ended. Sleep duration increased during lockdown but was not linked to menstrual cycle changes.

Survey study, 2023

Does childhood trauma increase the risk of PMDD?

Yes. Women who experienced childhood trauma were about three times more likely to have PMDD symptoms than those who did not experience childhood trauma.

Survey study, 2023

Do women with PMS and irritable bowel syndrome have related conditions?

IBS and PMS appear to share similar causes and may occur together in women. Better cooperation between doctors treating these conditions is needed.

Non-randomised trial, 2023

Does emotion-focused therapy help women cope better with premenstrual changes?

Both individual and couple emotion-focused therapy improved coping with premenstrual changes compared to no treatment. The improvements stayed steady over time.

Survey study, 2023

Do psychological patterns change across the menstrual cycle?

This study found certain psychological patterns were lower on day 15 compared to day 1 of the cycle. Anxiety, depression, and stress were linked to more pronounced psychological challenges. However, this was small and done in one country, so findings may not apply broadly.

Cohort study, 2023

Are premenstrual symptoms linked to psychotic-like experiences?

Yes. Women with more intense premenstrual symptoms reported more psychotic-like experiences. Depression and anxiety partially explained this link for negative psychotic-like experiences but not positive ones.

Survey study, 2023

What factors are linked to premenstrual syndrome in women workers?

Most women workers (92.6%) experienced PMS. The study looked for links between PMS and marital status, exercise, depression, and diet, but found no clear relationships.

Cohort study, 2023

Do certain foods affect PMS severity?

Fish and seafood were linked to lower PMS severity, but this was a cross-sectional study so we cannot prove that eating fish causes the improvement.

Interview study, 2023

Does the menstrual cycle affect mental health in women admitted to hospital for psychiatric care?

Of 16 women who had a recent period, 10 reported that their mental health got worse before their period. Symptoms included increased thoughts of suicide, anger, low mood, and unusual experiences.

Survey study, 2023

What factors affect whether high school students get PMS?

7.6% of students had PMS in this study. Knowledge, behavior, age at first period, and stress level all showed clear relationships with PMS.

Survey study, 2023

Could treatments that affect the brain's GABA system help PMDD?

This review suggests GABA system changes may cause PMDD symptoms. Three compounds being tested in early clinical trials show promise, but much larger studies are needed to confirm if they work.

Survey study, 2023

Does lifestyle affect PMS symptoms in nursing students?

No clear relationship was found between lifestyle and PMS in this study.

Survey study, 2023

Is there a link between PMS and poor sleep in teenage girls?

Yes, there is a significant relationship between PMS and sleep quality (p=0.020), with 89.2% of girls having poor sleep.

Survey study, 2023

Does knowing about PMS help reduce anxiety about it in young girls?

Yes, the study found that girls with better knowledge about PMS experienced less anxiety (p=0.003). However, attitudes about menstruation alone did not significantly affect anxiety levels (p=0.303).

Survey study, 2023

Is there a link between stress and PMS in women in prison?

There is a moderate correlation between stress and PMS, but it was not statistically significant. No relationship was found between stress and quality of life.

Survey study, 2023

Is stress linked to premenstrual syndrome?

Yes, there was a clear link between stress and PMS. Among women with stress, 62.2% had PMS compared to 31.3% of women without stress.

Survey study, 2023

How do menstrual pain and PMS affect female medical students' academic and social life?

More severe menstrual pain was strongly linked to worse academic performance, reduced social activities, damaged relationships, and more school absences.

Survey study, 2023

Is internalized misogyny linked to worse PMS and dysmenorrhea?

Yes. Higher internalized misogyny was significantly linked to worse PMS and dysmenorrhea symptoms. However, we cannot tell if misogyny causes worse symptoms or if worse symptoms cause internalized misogyny.

Study, 2023

How does menstruation affect different areas of women's lives?

Menstruation affects mental health, education, money, and culture, and the challenges are worse for some women depending on race and economic status.

Interview study, 2023

How does PMS affect women's daily activities and relationships?

Women with PMS have difficulties with daily activities like self-care, work, and leisure, which affects their routines and relationships with others.

Survey study, 2023

Does knowledge about PMS reduce PMS symptoms in female students?

Yes, students with good knowledge were more likely to not experience PMS symptoms compared to those with poor knowledge, and attitudes were also related to experiencing symptoms. However, we cannot tell if knowledge reduces PMS or if the relationship works differently.

Survey study, 2023

How common are PMS and PMDD in Iranian medical students, and what factors increase risk?

38.6% had PMS and 8% had PMDD. The strongest risk factors were recent stress and being married.

Survey study, 2023

Are mindfulness, social support, and quality of life related to PMS in deaf and hard-of-hearing women?

The study found that all three were connected to PMS, but in complex ways. This is a small study in one group, so we can't be sure the findings apply to all women.

Survey study, 2023

Does PMS affect sleep quality in female medical students?

The study found no overall statistical relationship between PMS severity and sleep quality, though all students with moderate to severe PMS had poor sleep while 61.7% with mild or no PMS also had poor sleep. The unclear pattern suggests the relationship is more complex.

Survey study, 2023

Does PMS affect the school performance of physiotherapy students?

This survey of 89 physiotherapy students found that 39.3% have PMS at moderate levels, and there is a significant link between PMS and lower academic performance.

Survey study, 2023

How common is PMS among women in Azad Kashmir and Pakistan and what factors are related to it?

27.1% of women had PMS. Many women were unaware of PMS (38.7%) or menstruation (12.9%), and few consulted a doctor about their symptoms.

Survey study, 2023

How common is PMS among female nursing students and how does it affect their lives?

61.4% of nursing students had PMS. Most had physical symptoms, anger, anxiety, and sensitivity. These symptoms interfered significantly with family relationships, social life, and academic work.

Survey study, 2023

How common are PMS and PMDD among college girls, and what are their symptoms?

Among 318 college students in India, 44 had PMDD and 89 had PMS. Symptoms differed, with PMDD including more severe mood changes like anger, tearfulness, and anxiety than PMS.

Survey study, 2023

Does menstrual distress affect how well female basketball players perform?

No. Menstrual distress did not appear to affect basketball performance. However, women with more menstrual distress were more likely to also have depression.

Lab study, 2023

Does estrogen receptor expression change across the menstrual cycle in people with schizophrenia?

In laboratory mice with schizophrenia-like conditions, a type of estrogen receptor called GPER was more active during the high-estrogen phase of the cycle. Male mice and people with schizophrenia showed lower GPER levels.

Survey study, 2023

Does psychological capital and marital satisfaction help women with PMS manage their emotions better?

Yes. Women with stronger psychological capital (more hope and confidence) managed their emotions better, and this connection worked both directly and through marital satisfaction.

Survey study, 2023

Do marriage happiness and personality affect how bad PMS is?

This study found that women who were happier in their marriage and had certain personality traits tended to have less severe PMS, partly linked to fewer unhelpful thinking patterns, but it only shows a pattern, not proof of cause.

Randomised trial, 2023

Does a happiness training program help women with PMS feel better mentally and improve relationships?

Yes. In 40 women with PMS, those who took a 6-week happiness training program improved in mental health and marital satisfaction, while the control group did not. Benefits lasted at least 45 days.

Survey study, 2023

Does PMS affect school performance and relationships in female medical students?

Yes, significantly. 73.6% of the 2080 students studied had premenstrual symptoms, and those with symptoms did worse in school and had more problems with relationships. The study shows a clear link, but only studied medical students.

Survey study, 2023

Does taking hormone contraceptives change how well women remember or think in 3D?

Women taking hormone contraceptives were better at remembering objects than naturally cycling women. There was no difference in 3D spatial thinking between the groups.

Survey study, 2023

Did COVID-19 lifestyle changes worsen PMS symptoms and quality of life?

Changes in diet, exercise, sleep, and stress during COVID-19 affected PMS symptoms in university students and reduced both their physical and mental quality of life. The study shows these are linked but does not identify which specific changes had the most impact.

Survey study, 2023

How common is PMS among midwifery students and does lifestyle affect it?

51.3% of midwifery students had PMS. Fast food, poor sleep, stress, and menstrual pain were significantly linked to PMS, while white meat consumption was linked to lower PMS.

Survey study, 2023

Is emotional eating linked to PMS symptoms in teenagers?

Yes. As PMS symptoms increased, emotional eating behaviors also increased significantly. 74% of adolescents in the study had PMS.

Survey study, 2023

Are stress and physical activity related to PMS?

Yes, both seem related. Stress showed a strong relationship to PMS (correlation 0.708) and physical activity also showed a relationship (correlation 0.066), though much weaker. Both were statistically significant.

Survey study, 2023

Does learning more about PMS help reduce anxiety in teenage girls?

The review suggests that teenage girls with PMS can reduce anxiety by learning more about their symptoms and getting appropriate treatment, though this conclusion comes from reviewing existing studies rather than new research.

Survey study, 2023

Are academic stress and weight connected with PMS symptoms in teenage girls?

In this study of 31 ninth grade girls, both academic stress and body weight were clearly linked to PMS symptoms.

Survey study, 2023

Do certain eating patterns affect PMS severity?

Yes. High-salt-high-sugar diets and Western-style eating patterns were significantly linked to more severe PMS, while healthy diet patterns were linked to lower PMS.

Survey study, 2023

Is stress from online learning linked to PMS during the pandemic?

Yes. Stress and PMS increased together with strong statistical evidence (r = 0.782, p = 0.000).

Survey study, 2023

Can scientists find PMS in skin sweat chemicals?

Scientists found that certain chemicals in skin sweat vary across the menstrual cycle and differ between women with severe and mild PMS. However, this is very early research with only 12 women, so we cannot yet use it for diagnosis.

Interview study, 2022

Can menstruation tracking apps help women manage PMS?

Women who used tracking apps reported learning to control and predict PMS symptoms and to appreciate their bodies more, though the app's accuracy and design were important.

Non-randomised trial, 2022

Is nutrition status linked to PMS, and does health education help?

Girls with normal nutrition status had less PMS. The age they started their period was not linked to PMS. Health education improved their knowledge about PMS.

Case report, 2022

Does sertraline help women with severe premenstrual dysphoric disorder?

In this case, a 44-year-old woman with severe PMDD symptoms showed complete recovery after taking sertraline for two menstrual cycles, and was able to continue taking it just during the week before menstruation.

Cohort study, 2022

Is suicide more likely to happen during a particular phase of the menstrual cycle?

In this study of 91 women who died by suicide in India, about two-thirds were in the secretory (luteal, pre-period) phase of their cycle, hinting at a possible link between premenstrual hormonal changes and suicide risk, but the study cannot prove cause and effect.

Survey study, 2022

Is low vitamin D linked to obesity and severe PMS?

Yes. Women with PMS who were obese were more likely to have low vitamin D levels than normal-weight women, and women with low vitamin D reported more severe PMS. Both relationships were statistically significant.

Survey study, 2022

Does a brain chemical called BDNF predict mood changes in perimenopausal women with depression?

Yes. Women with perimenopausal depression who had higher BDNF levels had worse mood symptoms, which differs from typical depression patterns.

Survey study, 2022

Is body weight linked to PMS in teenage girls?

Yes. Girls with low body weight had more PMS than girls with normal weight. Improving nutrition may help reduce symptoms.

Survey study, 2022

Are actions to reduce exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals associated with severe PMS?

Yes, women who took actions to minimize exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals were more likely to have severe PMS. However, this study cannot show whether the actions cause PMS; health-conscious women may simply be more aware of symptoms.

Survey study, 2022

Do women change what they eat during the luteal phase?

Most women eat more during the luteal phase, with 85% eating more sugars and sweets, and 91.78% of women experience food cravings during this time.

Survey study, 2022

Do stress, exercise, and diet affect PMS in teenagers?

No significant link was found between stress, exercise, diet, and PMS in this study of 70 nursing students. However, the study was small and only looked at one moment in time, so we cannot be confident in this result.

Survey study, 2022

Does physical activity and stress affect which type of PMS a teenager gets?

Yes. Stress was linked to different types of PMS, but physical activity was not. However, the study only looked at one moment in time, so we cannot be sure stress causes different PMS types.

Survey study, 2022

Does physical activity affect how severe PMS is in teenage girls?

Yes. Girls with less physical activity had higher risk of PMS. This relationship was found during the COVID-19 pandemic when many girls' activity dropped due to school closures.

Survey study, 2022

Is prostaglandin (a body chemical) linked to PMS in teenage girls?

Yes. Prostaglandin F2α levels were linked to PMS severity in this study of 50 students. However, the study was small and only looked at one moment in time, so we do not know whether measuring this chemical helps us understand or treat PMS.

Survey study, 2022

How do premenstrual syndrome and premenstrual dysphoric disorder affect quality of life?

PMS and PMDD significantly reduce quality of life. Work efficiency drops from 27.63% reduction with no/mild PMS to 94.73% with moderate/severe PMS to 100% with PMDD. Physical health and wellbeing scores also decline notably.

Cohort study, 2022

Does heavy use of caffeine, alcohol, or tobacco link to worse PMS symptoms?

College women who used more caffeine, alcohol, or tobacco had more severe PMS symptoms. The more substances used together, the worse the symptoms became.

Survey study, 2022

Does a girl's relationship with her mother affect her PMS symptoms?

Yes. Girls whose mothers had lower education had more severe PMS symptoms. Girls with moderate relationships with their mothers reported more shame about menstruation.

Survey study, 2022

Is Facebook easy and useful for learning about PMS?

Yes. Of 77 school teenagers, 63.6% found Facebook easy to use for PMS health education and 57.1% found it useful. Students who found it easier to use were more likely to find it useful.

Survey study, 2022

Is premenstrual syndrome related to emotional or physical abuse?

There is only a very weak connection between premenstrual symptoms and reported abuse. Age affects reported abuse levels but not premenstrual symptoms.

Case-control study, 2022

Do women with PMS in addiction treatment experience more alcohol cravings?

Women in addiction treatment with PMS had higher alcohol cravings than community women. PMS symptoms predicted cravings in the treatment group but not the general population, and PMS was much more common in women with substance use disorders.

Survey study, 2022

Is stress about puberty and menstruation linked to depression and anxiety in adolescent girls?

Yes. Stress related to menstruation and puberty was linked to depression, anxiety, and reproductive tract infections in adolescent girls in Tanzania.

Survey study, 2022

Did fear of COVID-19 affect premenstrual symptoms in university students?

Women with higher fear of COVID-19 had worse PMS symptoms, especially if the pandemic changed their menstrual cycles. This shows an association but doesn't prove fear caused worse PMS.

Survey study, 2022

Is stress during menstruation related to menstrual cycle regularity?

There is a weak negative relationship between stress during menstruation and menstrual cycle length, meaning higher stress is slightly associated with shorter cycles.

Survey study, 2022

Is there a link between PMS and sleep quality in young women?

Yes, students with worse PMS symptoms tended to have worse sleep quality, and PMS-related sleep changes were the strongest predictor of poor sleep.

Systematic review, 2022

Are PMDD and bipolar disorder connected?

Yes. PMDD is more common in women with bipolar disorder than in the general population, and bipolar disorder is more common in women with PMDD. Between 10% and 15% of women with PMDD also have bipolar disorder, while 27% to 76% of women with bipolar disorder also have PMDD.

Survey study, 2022

Does having PMS before pregnancy relate to postpartum depression and bonding with your baby?

Yes, mothers with higher PMS scores before pregnancy tended to have higher postpartum depression scores and more difficulties bonding with their infant.

Case report, 2022

What is cyclic menstrual psychosis in adolescents?

This case describes a 14-year-old girl with psychotic symptoms including confusion, delusional ideas and physical restlessness that occurred in a repeating cycle linked to her menstruation. The symptoms went away when her period began.

Survey study, 2022

Does stress affect PMDD symptoms in young women?

Yes. Women with higher stress levels had more PMDD symptoms. Weight did not appear to affect symptoms. Stress accounted for about one-third of the differences in how severe PMDD was.

Survey study, 2022

Does how women cope with PMS affect how they feel about menstruation?

Yes. Active coping methods like exercise and relaxation help reduce negative effects on attitudes about menstruation. Passive coping like trying to accept changes did not help as much.

Survey study, 2022

Does physical activity or sleep quality help reduce PMS?

Better sleep quality may help reduce PMS, but physical activity did not show a clear link in this study. This very small study of 33 women cannot provide reliable answers.

Survey study, 2022

Does PMS affect quality of life in female medical students?

Yes. Female medical students with PMS had significantly lower quality of life scores in emotional well-being, social functioning, pain, and general health compared to those without PMS.

Survey study, 2022

Is there a link between PMS symptoms and eating problems?

Yes, a weak one. Four out of five adolescents (79.6%) had PMS symptoms. Among those with PMS, about 1 in 4 (23.1%) also had eating problems. As PMS symptoms increased, eating problems increased slightly.

Study, 2022

What treatments help relieve PMS symptoms?

The abstract recommends starting with education, diet changes, vitamins, and exercise. If severe symptoms don't improve, doctors may recommend medication combined with diet.

Survey study, 2021

Is premenstrual syndrome linked to depression in female university students?

Yes. Women with PMS had 70 times higher odds of depression compared to those without PMS. This cross-sectional study cannot prove whether PMS causes depression or depression causes PMS symptoms.

Survey study, 2021

Can a menstrual cycle trigger psychiatric episodes in teenagers?

A 15-year-old girl's monthly episodes of confusion and dissociation lasting 5-6 days improved when her period started, but doctors couldn't determine whether hormones, the menstrual cycle, or a psychiatric condition caused it.

Survey study, 2021

Is higher body weight linked to worse PMS?

Yes. There is a strong relationship between body mass index and the severity of PMS symptoms in female college students.

Non-randomised trial, 2021

Does emotion-focused therapy reduce PMS severity?

Both individual and couple emotion-focused therapy significantly reduced PMS symptoms (p≤0.001), with effects that remained stable over time. There was no significant difference between the two therapy types.

Survey study, 2021

Is anxiety about PMS related to how much girls know about reproductive health?

Yes. There is a relationship between girls' knowledge about reproductive health and their anxiety about premenstrual syndrome.

Survey study, 2021

Do adolescents with PMS have more childhood trauma and mental health problems?

Yes. Adolescents with PMS had higher scores for childhood trauma and mental health symptoms than those without PMS, though the connection was weak.

Survey study, 2021

Did COVID-19 stress make PMS worse in nursing students?

During the pandemic, most nursing students had PMS, and some reported that PMS duration and severity got worse. The pandemic appeared to cause negative changes in menstruation and PMS symptoms.

Survey study, 2021

Does feeling in control help nursing students with PMS cope with school stress?

Yes. Feeling in control and being satisfied with their major both fully explained how school stress affects how engaged students are with learning.

Survey study, 2021

Does feeling in control improve attitude toward periods?

Yes. Feeling in control was linked to more positive attitudes about menstruation. Feeling in control partially explained how premenstrual discomfort affects attitude.

Survey study, 2021

Does resilience protect shift-work nurses with PMS from depression?

Yes. Resilience (the ability to bounce back from difficulties) was linked to less depression. Resilience partially explained why premenstrual discomfort led to depression in these nurses.

Survey study, 2021

Does resilience help women with PMS maintain quality of life?

Yes. Resilience (the ability to bounce back) was linked to better quality of life. Resilience partially explained why premenstrual discomfort was linked to lower quality of life.

Survey study, 2021

Are PMS and depression the same condition?

No, they are separate conditions. Women fell into different groups with PMS only, depression only, both, or neither, showing they are independent.

Survey study, 2021

Are childhood trauma and stress linked to PMDD?

Yes. Sexual and psychological abuse in childhood, plus current stress, increase PMDD risk mainly through depression.

Survey study, 2021

What is the prevalence of PMDD and how does it affect quality of life in female students?

About 4.43% of female students had PMDD. Those with PMDD had significantly lower quality of life, especially in social relationships and at work. The evidence is clear for this group, but the study only included students in India.

Survey study, 2021

How common is PMS in health care workers?

Very common at 76% overall. But rates were much higher in younger women: 80% of those ages 20-24, dropping to 58.3% in ages 25-30, and 46.6% in ages 31-40.

Survey study, 2021

Is PMS linked to physical activity, weight, and blood pressure?

Yes. Women with regular physical activity, normal weight, and no high blood pressure had significantly fewer PMS symptoms.

Survey study, 2021

Does premenstrual tension syndrome affect how well a woman's family functions?

Yes, in this study premenstrual tension syndrome was very common among female university students, and the more severe it was, the more likely their family was to be dysfunctional.

Survey study, 2021

How common is PMS in Palestinian university women and what factors link to it?

Nearly all women (100%) reported PMS symptoms. PMS was strongly linked to depression, anxiety, and stress, and also to dietary habits including food preferences and herbal tea.

Survey study, 2021

Do adverse childhood experiences increase the risk of PMS?

Yes, women who experienced more adverse things in childhood had significantly higher PMS symptoms. The evidence is fairly clear, but the study only included young university women and cannot prove childhood experiences cause PMS.

Survey study, 2021

Do premenstrual symptoms affect sexual desire?

Sexual desire is linked to some premenstrual symptoms, particularly back pain, painful periods, and mood changes. Sexual desire was not clearly linked to other symptoms like headaches or breast tenderness.

Survey study, 2021

Are stress, eating habits and exercise linked to PMS, and does knowledge matter?

Stress, eating patterns, and exercise patterns were all linked to PMS, but how much a girl knew about PMS was not linked to whether she had it.

Survey study, 2021

Does managing stress, emotions, diet, exercise and sleep help PMS in female athletes?

Yes. Stress response directly affects PMS, and managing emotions well, eating well, exercising and sleeping enough are connected to lower PMS.

Survey study, 2021

Does the menstrual cycle affect women's social behavior and anxiety?

Women in the luteal phase (when progesterone is high) reported being more sensitive to others' feedback, feeling more anxious with other people, and preferring to cooperate. These changes did not appear in the follicular phase.

Interview study, 2021

Is personality type related to how severe PMS symptoms are?

Yes, women with PMS had significantly higher anxiety and stress scores on personality tests. But the study cannot prove whether personality causes PMS, PMS causes personality changes, or if something else links them.

Survey study, 2021

Do anger and fatigue from PMS affect family relationships and responsibilities?

Yes. Anger and fatigue are linked to difficulties with family functions and responsibilities. Together, these two symptoms explain about 42% of the variation in how much PMS affects family life.

Survey study, 2021

Does nutritional status affect PMS symptoms?

Yes, there is a clear relationship between nutritional status and whether a woman experiences PMS. However, the study does not specify which nutrients matter most.

Survey study, 2021

Does PMS affect jump performance in female athletes?

Female athletes with breast tenderness (a PMS symptom) showed reduced jump height during the luteal phase compared to those without this symptom. Overall, there were no major differences in jump performance across the menstrual cycle.

Survey study, 2021

Is premenstrual syndrome linked to personality traits?

More than half the students (62%) had PMS. Women with more anxious or emotionally reactive personalities, or who were less consistent in their behaviors, were more likely to have PMS.

Survey study, 2021

Is poor sleep linked to PMS?

Results not provided in the abstract given.

Survey study, 2021

How do coping strategies affect mood across the menstrual cycle in women trying to conceive?

Active coping and behavioral engagement reduced evening depression during menstruation. But seeking social support increased anxiety and reduced emotional quality of life, and using fertility monitoring techniques also increased anxiety.

Survey study, 2021

Does the timing of the menstrual cycle relative to moon phases affect sleep quality?

Women whose menstrual cycles began during the dark lunar period had worse sleep quality than those whose cycles began during the light lunar period. The effect was strongest when cycles began during the dark period in two consecutive months.

Survey study, 2021

Does learning about PMS help adolescents manage it better?

Yes. Adolescents with more knowledge about PMS were more likely to handle PMS symptoms better.

Cohort study, 2021

Did the COVID-19 pandemic affect women's periods and anxiety levels?

Yes. During the pandemic in May 2020, women reported shorter periods with fewer pads needed. Higher anxiety scores were linked to worse menstrual symptoms.

Survey study, 2020

How common is PMS among female university students and how does it affect their lives?

Most female university students know about PMS. It commonly affects school work and social life, but most do nothing to treat it.

Survey study, 2020

How common is PMDD in medical students?

About 11% of the 180 medical students studied had PMDD. The most common symptoms were fatigue, irritability, and mood swings.

Survey study, 2020

What attitudes do teenage girls have about premenstrual syndrome, and what affects them?

Most girls had positive attitudes about PMS (50.3%) and good knowledge about it (74.2%). Knowledge, physical activity, anxiety levels, and health education all related to how they felt about managing PMS.

Survey study, 2020

What PMS symptoms do female students have and how severe are they?

Almost all female students had at least one PMS symptom. Most experienced physical symptoms more than psychological ones and used sleep and rest to manage symptoms.

Survey study, 2020

Does appetite and food cravings change during the menstrual cycle?

Yes. 70.4% of women reported increased appetite during their menstrual cycle, peaking at 85.8% before menstruation. Cravings for sweets were linked to depression, anger, and sleepiness.

Survey study, 2020

Does a history of childhood trauma make premenstrual symptoms worse?

Yes, women who reported more childhood trauma also reported more severe premenstrual symptoms, and this link seemed to be fully explained by difficulties managing emotions.

Survey study, 2020

What factors at work contribute to PMS in nurses?

PMS in nurses is linked to chemical exposure, working in high-stress units, family history of PMS, and having supportive coworkers. The model explained 38.3% of PMS variation.

Survey study, 2020

Do past trauma and emotions predict PMS severity?

Yes. How women cope emotionally, particularly catastrophizing (assuming the worst), predicted about one-third of PMS severity. Past trauma involving life threat also predicted about one-third of PMS severity.

Survey study, 2020

Does the relationship between mood and alcohol drinking change depending on progesterone levels?

Women were more likely to drink on days when mood was negative and progesterone was falling. Women with consistently lower mood throughout the cycle did not show this pattern and were more likely to drink regardless of progesterone changes.

Survey study, 2020

Do oral contraceptive pills increase the risk of premenstrual syndrome symptoms?

Yes. Women taking oral contraceptive pills had about 21 percent higher risk of premenstrual symptoms than non-users, and this effect was stronger in women age 25 and older, where the risk increased by 32 percent.

Survey study, 2020

Do sleep and emotion regulation explain why depression is linked to worse premenstrual symptoms?

Yes, both poor sleep and difficulty regulating emotions partly explain why women with depression also experience more severe premenstrual symptoms. These factors appear to mediate the connection between mood problems and menstrual cycle symptoms.

Study, 2020

Does gentle yoga help reduce premenstrual syndrome symptoms?

In a month-long trial, adolescent girls reported that gentle yoga somewhat reduced pain, though the benefit was limited because the yoga was only done once during the organized intervention.

Cohort study, 2020

Can depression screening after birth predict who will develop PMS?

A high depression score after birth may signal increased risk of developing PMS or PMDD in the next year, but the evidence is preliminary and the difference was not statistically significant.

Survey study, 2020

Are stress and physical activity linked to PMS?

Yes. Both stress and physical activity were related to PMS in this group. More stress and less activity were linked to more symptoms.

Survey study, 2020

Does stress, calcium, or diet affect PMS?

Stress was related to PMS, but calcium intake and nutrition were not in this study of nutrition students, though the sample size is not reported.

Survey study, 2020

What factors are linked to PMS in young women?

Stress, diet, and exercise were linked to PMS. Age of first period and body weight were not linked in this village study.

Survey study, 2020

Do personality traits affect premenstrual syndrome?

Yes. Two personality traits showed a relationship with PMS: honesty-humility and openness to experience. Honesty-humility and agreeableness could help predict PMS.

Survey study, 2020

Does diet and carbohydrate intake affect PMS symptoms?

Yes, girls with poor diet and low carbohydrate intake had more PMS symptoms in this study. But this does not prove diet causes PMS.

Survey study, 2020

Does menstrual cycle affect balance and position sense in women with multiple sclerosis?

In the early follicular phase, pain was linked to how well women could sense their knee position. The study was very small and had no comparison group, so results are uncertain.

Survey study, 2020

How is premenstrual dysphoric disorder different from premenstrual syndrome, and what treatment helps?

PMDD is more severe than PMS and causes real disability in daily life, affecting fewer women. SSRIs are described as working well, sometimes with progestogens added. This is based on one patient case and a review of past research, not a trial, so certainty is low.

Survey study, 2019

Does allopregnanolone, a hormone made from progesterone, affect premenstrual mood?

Growing evidence suggests allopregnanolone may influence mood during the premenstrual phase and other reproductive times, but exactly how it works is not yet clear.

Survey study, 2019

Is stress linked to PMS?

Women with PMS had significantly higher stress levels than healthy women. But stress and eating behaviour together showed only a weak link to PMS, so they may not be the main causes.

Survey study, 2019

What are the best ways to manage PMS?

PMS is managed in four steps: create awareness and make lifestyle changes, then offer therapy and complementary treatments, then medication if needed, and rarely surgery. This summarizes international guidelines but doesn't show strong evidence about which approach works best.

Survey study, 2019

Do birth control pills reduce psychological symptoms of PMS?

Yes. Women who had used birth control pills reported significantly lower rates of depression (P=0.039), sadness (P=0.012), and anger (P=0.032) related to PMS, but we cannot be certain the pills caused this because the study did not randomly assign women to use them.

Survey study, 2019

Is negative mood during the menstrual cycle linked to what women eat?

Yes. Women with higher negative mood during menstruation drank more tea, black coffee, and carbonated drinks. Women with higher negative mood before their period ate more bananas and red Chinese dates.

Survey study, 2019

What are the evidence-based treatments for premenstrual disorders?

Four main treatment approaches exist: antidepressants, hormone therapy, lifestyle changes, and herbal remedies. The summary did not specify how well each treatment works.

Survey study, 2019

How common is PMDD in female health science students and what factors cause it?

66.9% had PMDD. The severity of period pain was the main associated factor: those with severe pain were much more likely to have PMDD than those with mild pain.

Interview study, 2019

How does PMDD affect adolescents' lives?

PMDD causes discomfort and interferes with social relationships in teenagers. Symptoms cycle with the menstrual cycle and are triggered by environmental and hormonal factors. This very small qualitative study (6 students) cannot be generalized.

Case-control study, 2019

Do women with PMS have different stress hormone levels when they wake up?

Women with PMS showed a flattened stress hormone response upon waking compared to healthy women, especially at 45 and 60 minutes after waking. A blunted cortisol response may be linked to PMS development, but the study is small.

Survey study, 2019

How common is PMS in female university students, and does it affect mental well-being?

PMS was very common in this group of students, and worse PMS symptoms were linked to lower psychological well-being, though PMS only explained a small part of that well-being.

Case-control study, 2019

How do PMDD and depression affect pain sensitivity and stress response?

Women with PMDD felt pain sooner and more intensely from cold exposure, and had weaker stress responses. Women with a history of depression showed lasting changes in pain and stress response even after the depression ended.

Cohort study, 2019

Is there a link between menstrual symptoms and anxiety, depression, and stress in teenage girls?

Yes. There was a strong correlation between menstrual distress and depression, anxiety, and stress, with distress significantly higher before, during, and after menstruation (p=0.000).

Survey study, 2019

Does the age when a girl starts her period relate to PMS and body measurements?

Yes. Age at menarche was linked to weight, height, and PMS severity. This suggests physical health and nutrition may influence PMS.

Survey study, 2019

Are women with PMS more likely to struggle with anger?

Yes. Women with PMS scored higher on constant anger, anger-in and anger-out, and lower on anger control than other women, based on a large survey in Turkey.

Survey study, 2019

Does PMS affect how satisfied women are in their marriages?

Yes. Women with PMS reported significantly higher marital dissatisfaction than those without PMS.

Survey study, 2018

Does men's awareness of PMS affect marital satisfaction in women with PMS?

The study found that men's awareness of PMS and having PMS symptoms were linked to marital satisfaction. Because this is a survey, we cannot be sure if awareness causes better relationships or if they just occur together.

Survey study, 2018

How aware are men of what PMS is and how it affects their partners?

This abstract only describes the background and purpose of the study; it does not give the actual results on men's awareness, attitude, or behavior regarding PMS.

Survey study, 2018

What lifestyle and body factors are linked to PMS?

Eating fried foods, sweet drinks, and fast food are linked to more PMS, while eating fruit and regular exercise are linked to less. Family history of PMS and larger hip measurements are also linked to more PMS.

Survey study, 2018

Do women with PMS really experience mood and behavior changes linked to their menstrual cycle?

No. This small study found no evidence of mood or behavior changes linked to the menstrual cycle, suggesting retrospective questionnaires may overestimate PMS.

Survey study, 2018

Which lifestyle factors are linked to premenstrual symptoms?

Coffee consumption was linked to worse premenstrual symptoms, and people with symptoms were more likely to be physically inactive. Reducing coffee and increasing physical activity might help reduce symptoms.

Survey study, 2018

Is mindfulness related to premenstrual symptoms?

Mindfulness was significantly related to behavioral symptoms, but not to overall PMS severity or other symptom categories. So mindfulness may help with some behavioral changes but not all PMS symptoms.

Survey study, 2018

Are certain personality types more likely to have PMS?

Yes. Women with higher neuroticism, lower extraversion, lower conscientiousness, and more negative mood were more likely to have PMS. But we can't prove personality causes PMS.

Survey study, 2018

Are premenstrual symptoms related to difficulty identifying emotions?

Yes, women with more premenstrual and menstrual symptoms are more likely to have difficulty identifying and describing their emotions. The relationship between the two is clear.

Survey study, 2018

How many women actually have PMS when carefully tracked?

When women remembered their symptoms from the last three cycles, 62.57% reported three or more symptoms. When carefully tracked with daily diaries, only 4.05% actually met criteria for PMS.

Survey study, 2018

Does the menstrual cycle affect how the body responds to stress?

Women in the luteal phase show a stronger cortisol response to laboratory stress than women in the follicular phase.

Survey study, 2017

How common are PMS symptoms in university students and do they disrupt daily life?

PMS is very common, with more than three-quarters of students experiencing some symptoms, and many had symptoms severe enough to interrupt their daily activities.

Survey study, 2017

Do women with PMS have lower calcium and does supplementation help?

Women with PMS had lower blood calcium levels and lower daily calcium intake. Calcium supplementation increased blood calcium levels and reduced PMS symptoms.

Survey study, 2017

Does crying change during the menstrual cycle?

Women feel more like crying during the premenstrual phase but do not actually cry more. The differences in feeling like crying were small but statistically significant.

Survey study, 2017

What factors make PMS symptoms worse in college-aged women?

Older age, low family income, being unmarried, and family history of PMS or painful periods are all linked to more severe PMS.

Survey study, 2017

Does physical activity reduce PMS symptoms?

Physical activity did not reduce how often women had PMS. However, it did reduce the severity of anxiety, anger, migraines, and abdominal bloating. The study cannot prove activity caused this because it was cross-sectional.

Survey study, 2017

Are PMS symptoms linked to mood disorders and personality?

This study found significant relationships between PMS symptoms and lifelong mania or hypomania symptoms, and between PMS and personality traits. Because it was cross-sectional, we cannot know if hormonal changes in PMS cause mood and personality changes.

Survey study, 2017

How common is premenstrual syndrome in teenage girls and what methods do they use to cope?

More than half of teenage girls had at least mild PMS symptoms, and most did not use any coping strategy. The study was only one month in one school in Ethiopia, so findings may differ elsewhere.

Survey study, 2017

How common is PMS in university students and is it related to depression?

More than half of university students had PMS (58.1%), and there was a strong link between PMS and depression risk. Women with depression were more likely to have PMS symptoms.

Survey study, 2017

Does physical activity reduce PMS symptoms?

No. This study found no significant link between how much women exercise and their PMS symptoms.

Case-control study, 2017

Do anxiety levels differ in soccer players with and without PMS?

Yes. Players with PMS had significantly higher anxiety levels than those without (p = 0.002). A chemical called IL-10 may help protect against anxiety, but this protection didn't work the same way in players with PMS.

Survey study, 2017

How is a woman's attitude about menstruation related to her PMS?

A woman's attitudes about menstruation are linked to how much PMS distress she experiences and how well she copes. A more positive attitude appears to help with managing PMS.

Survey study, 2017

Do women with moderate PMS have more depression, anxiety, stress, and sleep problems than those with mild PMS?

Yes. Women with moderate PMS had significantly higher levels of depression, anxiety, and stress, and significantly worse sleep quality compared to those with mild PMS.

Randomised trial, 2017

Does yoga help with PMS symptoms?

This text only gives the background and reasoning for a yoga trial. It does not include the trial's actual methods or results, so no answer about whether yoga worked can be given from this excerpt.

Survey study, 2017

Does the menstrual cycle affect heart rate variability independent of diet, activity, and sleep?

Heart rate does change across the menstrual cycle, but this change appears to be driven by differences in diet, activity, and sleep rather than by the cycle itself.

Survey study, 2017

Does your menstrual cycle change how you recognize emotions on faces?

Yes. In the late luteal phase before your period, women react more slowly to all emotional faces and show less brain response to happy faces.

Survey study, 2017

Is premenstrual syndrome linked to anxiety, digestive problems, and food choices?

Women with PMS were more likely to have anxiety and digestive problems like IBS and constipation, and to eat more meat and fast food but less carbohydrates. However, this study only shows associations, so we cannot know whether these factors cause PMS or result from it.

Survey study, 2017

Is PMS linked to personality temperament types?

No clear link was found between PMS and different temperament types in this study. Although some temperament types seemed to have more PMS, the overall pattern was not significant.

Survey study, 2016

Are emotional labor at work and stress linked to PMS symptoms in nurses?

Yes. Nurses with higher emotional labor and higher stress had worse PMS symptoms. There were clear relationships between all three: emotional labor linked to stress, emotional labor linked to PMS, and stress linked to PMS.

Survey study, 2016

Is there a link between body weight and having PMS?

Yes. Women who are overweight are much more likely to have PMS than women at healthy weight. The link is very strong in this study.

Survey study, 2016

Does knowing more about menstruation help girls avoid or reduce premenstrual syndrome?

Girls with less knowledge about menstruation are more likely to experience PMS symptoms. We cannot be sure whether better knowledge prevents PMS or whether girls with PMS are less likely to learn about menstruation.

Survey study, 2016

Is premenstrual syndrome associated with suicide risk personality traits?

Women with PMS or PMDD showed more personality traits linked to suicide risk, especially high anger, though this study involved women who had attempted suicide.

Survey study, 2016

How common is PMS and how much support do women get from their husbands?

79.5% of women had PMS, but only 12.6% received good support from their husbands during PMS and 16.3% during their period.

Survey study, 2016

How common is PMS among working women in Bangkok and how much does it affect their lives?

About 11.4% of working women in Bangkok have moderate to severe PMS. Younger women are more likely to experience PMS than older women.

Survey study, 2016

Does PMS increase the risk of stress fractures in teenage athletes?

Among teenage athletes, 8.9% had moderate-to-severe PMS. Those with strong physical premenstrual symptoms had 1.66 times higher risk of stress fractures, suggesting PMS symptoms may increase injury risk.

Survey study, 2016

Is depression linked to PMS in college women?

Yes. Women with higher depression levels tend to have more severe PMS. This is observational, so depression may not cause the PMS.

Case-control study, 2016

Is low vitamin D related to PMS?

No. Although vitamin D deficiency was common in both groups of young Iranian women, there was no difference in vitamin D levels between those with PMS and those without.

Survey study, 2016

Is the severity of PMS that women perceive related to their knowledge and actual recorded symptoms?

Women with more knowledge about PMS perceived severity differently, but their perceived severity did not match what they actually recorded in a daily diary.

Survey study, 2016

Is PMS more severe in urban or rural women and what factors affect severity?

PMS was more severe in urban women than rural women. Severity increased with age, number of children, education level, and socioeconomic status.

Randomised trial, 2015

Does estradiol affect how impulsively women make decisions about rewards?

An observational study suggests that early in the menstrual cycle when estradiol is rising, women tend to make more impulsive decisions to get rewards quickly. When estradiol is highest later in the cycle, women become less impulsive again.

Study, 2015

Do online self-support forums help women with PMDD?

Yes. Online forums provide emotional relief and help women with PMDD connect with others in the same situation, reducing feelings of isolation.

Survey study, 2015

What are the most common PMS symptoms in adolescent girls?

Among 54 adolescent girls with PMS, mood changes and acne were the most common symptoms. All 54 girls reported psychological symptoms like mood swings.

Survey study, 2015

Do young women recognize how PMS affects work performance?

Most students (79.4%) ignored PMS when rating employee performance, while 6.9% considered it. Students who perceived daily function problems from PMS were significantly more likely to consider it in evaluations. This shows many lack awareness.

Survey study, 2015

Can PMS affect a woman's relationship with her husband?

Yes, this study found that worse PMS was linked to a worse marital relationship, especially for women with severe symptoms.

Survey study, 2015

Is physical fitness related to premenstrual symptoms?

Higher cardiorespiratory fitness was strongly linked to lower PMS symptoms, while higher body weight was linked to higher symptoms. Fitness was the strongest predictor of both physical and psychological PMS symptoms.

Interview study, 2015

Does childhood sexual abuse affect hormone levels and premenstrual symptoms?

Women with menstrually-related mood disorders who experienced childhood sexual abuse had higher oxytocin levels than those without this history. In women with abuse history, higher oxytocin was linked with fewer premenstrual symptoms.

Survey study, 2015

Does drinking alcohol change at different times of the menstrual cycle?

The results were mixed. Some research found women drink more before menstruation, some found they drink less, and some found no change. The differences may be because researchers measured the cycle and alcohol in different ways.

Survey study, 2014

What factors cause PMS in teenage girls?

Daily hassles had the biggest effect on PMS in teenage girls. Other factors included age at first period, body weight, menstrual flow amount, test anxiety, social support, attitudes about menstruation, and femininity, but not school stress.

Survey study, 2014

Which PMS symptoms tend to occur together?

Different PMS symptoms commonly occur together. Women who have mood symptoms like anxiety and irritability also tend to have appetite changes, depression, and sleep problems, and these associations were found to be statistically significant.

Interview study, 2014

What do men think about partners with PMS and how does it affect their behavior?

Men's views about PMS are shaped by seeing it as a medical problem rather than part of a normal cycle. This belief changes how couples relate to each other.

Survey study, 2014

How do relationships affect women's experience of PMS?

A lot. Two women's stories show that having a supportive partner and viewing premenstrual changes as normal helped greatly. Without support, women felt their symptoms were a sign something was wrong with them.

Survey study, 2014

What does this article cover about premenstrual mood disorders?

This is a continuing education article written for doctors on premenstrual mood disorders. It is a teaching piece rather than a study, so it does not report a specific group of people tested, a treatment tried, or results to share.

Study, 2014

How do men on online forums talk about PMS?

Men's posts mostly described PMS as a hormonal disorder, excuse, or nuisance, with some men describing themselves as victimized. However, a small number of posts emphasized the importance of supporting their partners.

Survey study, 2014

Does a history of abuse affect how stress relates to premenstrual symptoms?

Yes. Women who experienced abuse had higher stress levels and more severe premenstrual symptoms than those without abuse history. The age at which abuse happened was more important than just having been abused.

Survey study, 2014

Is there a link between diet and premenstrual syndrome?

Yes. Women with PMS ate less dairy products. Eating more milk and dairy was linked to less pain and fewer overall symptoms.

Survey study, 2014

Did premenstrual syndrome have evolutionary advantages?

This is a theory that PMS might have helped infertile partnerships end in the past, allowing women to find new partners. The theory fits some evidence but is not proven.

Case report, 2013

Can mood disorder symptoms happen only during the second half of the menstrual cycle?

One woman had cycles of high mood followed by low mood that happened only during the second half of her menstrual cycle, repeating each month.

Survey study, 2013

What role do neurosteroids play in women's health?

Neurosteroids are chemicals in the brain and nervous system that control how nerve cells work. They may be useful for treating health issues related to aging and reproductive hormones.

Survey study, 2013

Does smoking behavior change across the menstrual cycle and is it linked to mood and period symptoms?

Yes. Young women smokers smoked more cigarettes and had stronger cravings during the luteal phase (second half of the cycle). Smoking was linked to higher depression and menstrual symptoms, but the study cannot prove smoking causes these or vice versa.

Study, 2013

Does the menstrual cycle affect which men women prefer as romantic partners?

Yes. Women in their fertile window preferred men with aggressive traits as short-term partners, though this preference did not extend to long-term relationships.

Survey study, 2013

Can headaches happen in the middle of a woman's cycle?

Yes. About half of women get headaches before their period, but one in six experience headaches around the middle of their cycle instead. Headache timing often matches when mood symptoms occur.

Survey study, 2013

Is health anxiety connected to PMS and PMDD?

Yes, women with PMS and PMDD reported significantly more health anxiety and anxiety sensitivity than those with mild or no PMS. These links remained even after accounting for general anxiety, and both groups reported worse quality of life overall.

Survey study, 2013

Do hormonal birth control pills reduce PMS symptoms?

In this study, 86% of women experienced PMS symptoms regardless of whether they used hormonal or non-hormonal birth control. Although hormonal pills should theoretically reduce PMS, this effect was not observed. The authors note results should be interpreted cautiously.

Survey study, 2013

Is PMS linked to perfectionism and anxiety in college students?

Yes, but the link differs by student type. In nursing students, PMS is linked to both perfectionism and anxiety. In general students, it is only linked to anxiety.

Randomised trial, 2013

Are low calcium and other minerals related to PMS symptoms?

Yes, very low calcium is extremely common in women with PMS, and weak associations were found between low sodium or magnesium and some PMS symptoms like anxiety and depression. However, this study only shows association, not proof of causation.

Survey study, 2013

What causes depression during pregnancy, and does PMS increase the risk?

Yes. Depression during pregnancy is linked to many factors including premenstrual syndrome. Emotional support from partners and family members significantly reduces the risk.

Non-randomised trial, 2013

Does 8 weeks of aerobic exercise reduce PMS symptoms?

Yes, 8 weeks of aerobic exercise three times weekly significantly reduced PMS symptoms and both physical and psychological symptoms compared to a control group (p≤0.001).

Survey study, 2013

Do women with epilepsy have more PMDD, and does the medication matter?

Overall, PMDD rates are similar in women with and without epilepsy. But women with certain types of epilepsy, especially temporal lobe epilepsy, have more PMDD, and lamotrigine may reduce the risk.

Survey study, 2013

How do lifestyle and attitudes about periods affect PMS severity?

Negative attitudes about menstruation and problematic alcohol use are linked to worse PMS, and painful periods (dysmenorrhea) are most strongly linked to worse PMS. These are associations, not proof of cause and effect.

Case-control study, 2012

Do women with PMDD have different brain structures?

Yes. Women with PMDD showed more gray matter in one brain region and less in another compared to healthy women, though these differences did not relate to symptom severity.

Survey study, 2012

Is higher weight linked to greater risk of PMS?

Yes. Women with obesity were at higher PMS risk than those who were overweight, who were at higher risk than those with normal weight. Stress and contraceptive use also affected PMS risk.

Case-control study, 2012

Do women with PMS have worse sleep quality than those without?

Yes. A significantly higher percentage of women with PMS reported poor sleep quality, mainly due to sleep disturbances. The difference was statistically significant.

Survey study, 2011

Does being on the birth control pill change how food cravings and hunger shift across the month?

Cravings and eating patterns were similar whether or not women were on the pill, both rising before and during the period. Hunger timing differed slightly: non-pill users felt hungrier only before their period, pill users felt hungrier both before and during the hormone-free bleed.

Survey study, 2011

How do women feel about menstruation and does it interfere with daily life?

Many women dislike menstruation mainly because it is inconvenient or uncomfortable, and it interferes with school (22%) and relationships (43%), though some women value it for confirming health.

Survey study, 2011

What causes irregular periods and period pain in working women?

Stress appeared to be the main factor linked to both irregular periods and period pain. However, this study only shows associations, not whether stress actually causes these problems.

Survey study, 2011

Is PTSD linked to a higher risk of PMDD?

Yes. Women with trauma and PTSD were 8.14 times more likely to have PMDD than women without trauma, and women with trauma but no PTSD were 2.84 times more likely.

Cohort study, 2011

Does having epilepsy increase the risk of PMDD, and what makes it worse?

The study suggests epilepsy and certain antiepileptic drugs may influence PMDD severity in women with epilepsy, but findings are preliminary. Specific medications like carbamazepine and lamotrigine appear to affect PMDD differently.

Cohort study, 2011

What is the economic burden of moderate to severe PMS or PMDD in Latin American women?

Moderate to severe PMS or PMDD costs an average of 1,618 Brazilian reals per woman per year and causes increasing impairment in work and daily activities as symptom severity increases.

Survey study, 2011

Are bipolar disorder, seasonal affective disorder, and premenstrual symptoms related?

This is a review article that explores potential connections between these three cyclical mood disorders. The abstract does not present specific empirical findings or results from research.

Survey study, 2010

Is lower blood serotonin linked to worse mood before menstruation?

Yes, women with lower blood serotonin during the premenstrual phase had worse tension, anxiety, and fatigue. However, the study is very small and only looked at healthy women, so results may not apply to women with PMS or PMDD.

Case-control study, 2010

Does vitamin D intake reduce the risk of PMS?

Higher vitamin D intake from food may be linked to lower PMS risk, though the evidence is weak and larger studies are needed to confirm.

Survey study, 2010

Does sexual interest change across the cycle and what role do pain, sleep and hormones play?

Overall sexual interest does not change across the cycle, but women not using oral contraceptives show a slight mid-cycle increase in attraction while those using them report greater overall attraction. Pain and sleep disturbances peak during menstruation.

Case-control study, 2010

Are personality traits different in women with PMDD?

Yes. Women with PMDD showed higher levels of neuroticism-related traits including anxiety, stress susceptibility, embitterment, and mistrust than healthy women. These traits were stronger in women with more severe symptoms and linked to a genetic variation in the serotonin transporter gene.

Survey study, 2010

How do hormones affect sleep and circadian rhythms across the menstrual cycle, especially in women with PMDD?

A literature review shows sleep and circadian rhythms change across the menstrual cycle in all women, but women with PMDD have more severe disruptions during the luteal phase. Non-drug treatments that help reset circadian rhythms may improve sleep and mood.

Interview study, 2009

How do women's thoughts about themselves and their relationships change with menstrual cycle symptoms?

Women with high PMS symptoms had difficulty accepting imperfection in themselves and others, felt alone and overwhelmed, and had relationship tensions. Women with low symptoms were more laid back and had stronger support networks.

Survey study, 2009

Does nutrition affect premenstrual syndrome in teenage girls?

Girls with lower calcium and magnesium intake were more likely to have PMS. Overall nutritional status alone didn't show a clear relationship.

Survey study, 2009

Does menstrual cycle phase affect how well women follow drug treatment?

The study found relationships between menstrual cycle phase and treatment compliance through anxiety levels, but the exact connection needs more research.

Survey study, 2009

Is stress related to premenstrual symptoms and irregular periods?

Yes. Stress is independently associated with both PMS and irregular cycles. Women reporting these menstrual problems had significantly higher stress scores.

Lab study, 2008

How do women talk about PMS with their partners?

Women have mixed feelings about calling their symptoms 'PMS' to partners. Some use it to explain their distress, but it can also become the only explanation for how they feel or be dismissed as not legitimate.

Survey study, 2008

Are bipolar mood symptoms affected by the phase of the menstrual cycle?

No clear difference in bipolar symptoms across menstrual cycle phases was found overall. However, a small number of women showed mood changes during the luteal phase.

Study, 2008

How do lesbian women experience premenstrual syndrome differently from heterosexual women?

Lesbian women experience similar premenstrual symptoms to heterosexual women, but their relationships are much more supportive. They can talk openly about their needs, get help from their partner, and don't experience shame or rejection because of their PMS.

Survey study, 2008

Does having PMS increase the risk of depression after having a baby?

Yes. Women with a history of PMS were about 1.8 times more likely to develop depression in the six weeks after giving birth compared to those without PMS.

Non-randomised trial, 2008

Does changing sleep timing help mood in women with PMDD?

Wake therapy improved mood in women with PMDD, but changing how early or late they slept did not work by reducing the morning melatonin hormone as researchers expected.

Non-randomised trial, 2008

Does stress affect memory differently depending on menstrual cycle phase?

Stress had no clear effect on how well women remembered information at any menstrual cycle phase. However, in the mid-luteal phase when progesterone is highest, there was a stronger relationship between stress hormone levels and memory.

Survey study, 2008

Do severe physical symptoms during the menstrual cycle mean a woman will also have worse mood problems?

No. Women with severe physical symptoms in the late menstrual cycle phase did not have worse overall psychological symptoms than those without physical symptoms. Only one psychological measure (interpersonal sensitivity) differed.

Survey study, 2008

Do healthy women without PMDD have mood changes during their menstrual cycle?

Yes, but the changes are small. Healthy women without PMDD showed small increases in anxiety, depression, and other negative mood symptoms from late follicular to late luteal phase.

Cohort study, 2008

How many women with asthma have symptoms that worsen around menstruation, and is it consistent across cycles?

In this small study, 57% had symptoms that worsened around menstruation, but only 25% had this happen in every cycle. Birth control pills did not appear to prevent premenstrual asthma.

Study, 2008

How common is PMDD and how does it affect women's lives?

About 5% of menstruating women have severe PMDD with significant impairment in functioning. At least another 20% have clinically significant premenstrual symptoms. PMDD affects romantic relationships, parenting, work, and increases health care use.

Survey study, 2008

Do women with PMS have higher blood pressure, and could PMS predict future high blood pressure?

Yes. Women with PMS have higher blood pressure in the late premenstrual phase compared to the early phase, and this may put them at risk for developing high blood pressure later. The connection may be related to stress and anxiety.

Survey study, 2008

Does low progesterone cause PMS?

No. Research by Professor Dennerstein showed that low progesterone does not cause PMS, even though hormones affect mood and behavior across the menstrual cycle.

Study, 2008

Does YAZ birth control help PMDD symptoms?

FDA has approved YAZ for treating PMDD, and two studies showed it helps mood, physical, and behavior symptoms plus symptoms related to food cravings, water retention, and relationship difficulties.

Survey study, 2007

Do women who experienced abuse have more severe premenstrual symptoms?

Yes. Women with a history of abuse report more severe PMS, especially pain and water retention. Stress partially explains this but accounts for only 24% of the effect.

Cohort study, 2007

When do migraines and PMS symptoms occur during the menstrual cycle, and how are they related?

Both migraines and PMS symptoms follow similar timing during the menstrual cycle, peaking around the time of the menstrual period. This suggests they may share a common cause.

Survey study, 2007

Does gender identity type affect premenstrual symptoms and health behaviors?

Yes. Different gender identity types had significantly different levels of symptoms and health-promoting behaviors.

Survey study, 2007

How does diet affect a woman's ability to get pregnant?

Folic acid supplements, omega-3 fatty acids, and healthy diets with seafood, poultry, whole grains, fruits and vegetables are linked to better fertility. These findings come from reviewing studies rather than testing one new approach.

Cohort study, 2006

How should severe period pain in teenagers be treated?

Regular pain relief medication (NSAIDs) started before periods begin may help. In one teenager, severe pain improved from 8 out of 10 to 5 out of 10.

Survey study, 2006

Does the menstrual cycle affect mood disorders?

Some women with mood disorders may experience worsening symptoms during the premenstrual period. Evidence is limited and study methods are inconsistent across available research.

Survey study, 2006

Do oral contraceptives improve mood in women with premenstrual dysphoric disorder?

This theoretical review proposes that birth control pills affect mood by changing brain chemicals called neurosteroids, but researchers still disagree on whether the pills improve or worsen mood in PMDD.

Non-randomised trial, 2006

Does the menstrual cycle affect brain activity differently in women with migraine?

Yes, in this study women with migraine showed greater brain electrical changes during the premenstrual phase than healthy women, especially when stressed. This suggests the menstrual cycle and stress together may trigger migraine attacks.

Survey study, 2006

Does spiritual well-being make PMS and stress worse or better?

Surprisingly, women with higher spiritual well-being reported more PMS symptoms and stress, not less. Spiritual well-being partially explained the relationship between stress and PMS.

Survey study, 2006

Does estrogen replacement improve thinking abilities after menopause?

Women after menopause who used estrogen replacement significantly outperformed women who did not on a test of complex thinking, even after accounting for age and education. This small study (48 women) with a single snapshot in time suggests benefits, but findings should be tested in larger studies.

Survey study, 2005

Does being a morning or evening person affect premenstrual symptoms?

In university-age women, those who are evening types reported more mood swings and menstrual pain, but this pattern was not clear in younger teens. Sleep timing and cycle regularity showed some connections in certain regions.

Survey study, 2005

How common is depression during pregnancy and what causes it?

Depression affects about 13.9% of pregnant women in this Lebanese hospital. Risk factors include family history of depression, mood changes before the period, and life stressors like lack of partner support and financial problems.

Survey study, 2005

Does the menstrual cycle affect obsessive-compulsive disorder symptoms?

Yes, for some women. OCD started at menarche in 22% of women and worsened premenstrually in 20%. It worsened after childbirth in 50% of women who became pregnant.

Survey study, 2005

Does estrogen level affect schizophrenia symptom severity during the menstrual cycle?

Yes, significantly. Women with schizophrenia had less severe symptoms when estrogen was higher during their menstrual cycle (p < 0.001). This is based on a small study.

Survey study, 2005

Are suicidal attempts more likely during certain phases of the menstrual cycle?

Yes. Suicidal attempts were most frequent during the menstrual phase. However, this study only looked at women already hospitalized for attempts, so it cannot tell us the true risk in the general population.

Survey study, 2004

Does the body's stress response change during the menstrual cycle?

Yes. The body's stress response changes at different times in the menstrual cycle, with stronger responses during the second half of the cycle. Women show a different overall pattern than men.

Survey study, 2004

How does serotonin function change during the menstrual cycle in women with PMS?

Serotonin function varies throughout the menstrual cycle linked to hormone levels. This variation may contribute to PMS, but we don't yet know why only some women develop the condition.

Survey study, 2004

Does PMS severity predict how much alcohol college women drink?

PMS severity predicted weekday alcohol drinking but not weekend drinking. The link appears to exist before serious drinking problems develop.

Survey study, 2004

How common is PMS and premenstrual worsening of psychiatric symptoms in women with mental health disorders?

Very common. Between 52% and 80% of women with anxiety, depression, or panic disorder reported PMS symptoms, and between 36% and 52% experienced worsening of their psychiatric symptoms before their period.

Case-control study, 2004

Is job stress linked to having premenstrual symptoms?

Yes, in this large survey of military women, high job stress was the strongest factor linked to premenstrual symptoms, with almost three times the risk compared to women without symptoms, but since this is an observational survey it cannot prove that stress causes the symptoms.

Interview study, 2003

Is how 'feminine' a woman feels linked to how much she suffers from PMS?

The study found a statistically significant link between scoring higher on traditional femininity and reporting more premenstrual distress, but this kind of study cannot prove that one causes the other.

Survey study, 2003

Is how much control women feel over their life linked to premenstrual symptoms?

Yes. Women who felt they had less control over their circumstances were more likely to have premenstrual symptoms, anxiety, and depression. Women felt especially out of control during the premenstrual phase compared to other times in their cycle.

Study, 2003

Do your family relationships affect your period symptoms?

Yes, according to interviews with women. Period symptoms were closely tied to family relationships and how family members responded to their feelings.

Survey study, 2002

Do women think and solve math problems differently depending on their menstrual cycle phase?

Overall performance on math tasks did not clearly differ between menstrual cycle phases. However, how much individual women's performance varied from day to day did change with the cycle phase, and this pattern was different for each woman.

Case-control study, 2002

Does stress from PMS change the chemistry of women's breath?

Yes. Women with PMS have higher levels of volatile sulfur compounds (which cause bad breath) during the premenstrual phase than women without PMS (P < 0.05), and this is not simply explained by less saliva production.

Cohort study, 2001

Do women with PMDD handle stress hormones differently than women without it?

Yes. In this small study, women with PMDD showed different patterns of the hormone allopregnanolone and cortisol around stress compared to women without PMDD, hinting at a biological difference in how their bodies respond to stress.

Survey study, 2001

How does premenstrual syndrome affect women's relationships and work?

Women with premenstrual tension reported physical and emotional discomfort that affected their relationships with family, partners, and children, and their work. However, the study does not provide specific numbers on how common these effects were.

Survey study, 2001

Do women with PMDD have other mental health conditions or personality traits?

Most women with PMDD (77%) had experienced other mood or anxiety disorders in their past, compared with only 17% of women without PMDD. Two-thirds of women with PMDD who had children experienced postpartum depression.

Survey study, 2001

Does how much you tend to worry affect your mood before your period?

Yes. Women who scored higher on a personality test for worry and upset feelings reported more negative mood before their period, even accounting for baseline mood. Women taking birth control pills had higher worry scores.

Study, 2001

Does estrogen or progesterone affect magnesium levels in brain blood vessels?

Yes. High levels of estrogen and progesterone both decrease magnesium in brain blood vessel cells. Low progesterone increases magnesium. This may explain why migraines happen more often before the period.

Lab study, 2000

Does estrogen change how brain chemicals control mood and thinking?

Yes, but only with acute short-term exposure. A single dose of estrogen reduced the response of several brain receptors involved in mood, but 14-day continuous exposure did not change these receptors.

Survey study, 2000

Is there a link between premenstrual syndrome and postnatal depression?

This exploratory study found an association between PMS and later postnatal depression, suggesting women with PMS might be at higher risk. However, this is very early research and we cannot be confident the results apply widely.

Survey study, 2000

Are women with PMDD more likely to have had mental health problems?

This review questions the common belief that women with PMDD have higher rates of past psychiatric disorders. It suggests this assumption may be premature, but does not provide new research to confirm either way.

Case-control study, 2000

Are suicide attempts more common at certain times in the menstrual cycle?

Suicide attempts were more common during the follicular phase, especially during menstruation, than expected by chance. However, the methods for measuring cycle phase disagreed with each other, so more research is needed.

Cohort study, 1999

Do cultural attitudes about menstruation influence how severely women experience premenstrual symptoms?

Cultural background and negative messages about menstruation were linked to reporting more severe symptoms. However, evidence suggests attitudes may be shaped by actual experiences rather than causing them.

Survey study, 1999

Does menstrual cycle phase affect mood in women with rapid cycling bipolar disorder?

No. This study found no systematic pattern between menstrual cycle phase and mood in women with rapid cycling bipolar disorder, even though some individual women showed a connection.

Randomised trial, 1999

Do premenstrual symptoms improve when women with asthma take estradiol during the premenstrual phase?

No, estradiol had no significant effect on premenstrual symptoms in women with premenstrual asthma. For some women, symptoms worsened with estradiol.

Survey study, 1999

Does high stress make the menstrual cycle irregular?

No clear pattern was found. While women with irregular cycles tended to report higher stress, stress levels did not consistently predict how long each cycle phase lasted.

Survey study, 1999

Do bowel symptoms vary with the menstrual cycle in women with IBS and inflammatory bowel disease?

Yes. About two-thirds of women with Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis reported that their symptoms got worse with their cycle. Women with IBS and inflammatory bowel disease reported more cyclical changes in bowel habits than women with normal bowel function.

Survey study, 1999

How common is PMS in young women and teenagers?

Very few young women met strict medical criteria for PMS, but many experienced premenstrual symptoms that significantly affected their daily lives and well-being. Many women had symptoms not formally diagnosed as PMS but still needed attention.

Case report, 1998

How should doctors approach women who come in with premenstrual complaints?

Doctors should recognize that not all women with premenstrual complaints have PMS as formally defined. Many have other medical, psychiatric or social problems contributing to their symptoms.

Survey study, 1998

Does the menstrual cycle affect asthma, and is it related to stress?

The study suggests asthma may worsen around menstruation when stress resistance is low, but the evidence is unclear and limited.

Review, 1998

What does research say about diagnosing and treating PMS and PMDD?

This review explains that careful symptom tracking and ruling out other conditions are key to diagnosing PMS, and that some promising drug treatments exist for PMDD, though it is unclear if they work as well for milder premenstrual symptoms.

Review, 1998

What is premenstrual syndrome and how should it be treated?

PMS affects up to 40% of women of childbearing age, with up to 10% having severe symptoms. First-line treatments include reducing salt, fat, caffeine and sugar intake, aerobic exercise, and stress reduction.

Survey study, 1998

Is anxiety related to premenstrual tension symptoms?

Yes. Schoolgirls with high anxiety had more premenstrual tension symptoms.

Cohort study, 1997

Does counseling that reframes menstrual experiences help PMS?

Yes, counseling combining social support and positive reframing reduced PMS impairment and depression. However, this was a very small study without a control group, so results are preliminary.

Survey study, 1997

Do women with severe premenstrual symptoms use pain relievers more often throughout the month?

Women with higher premenstrual distress used over-the-counter painkillers more frequently and in larger amounts. This suggests pain and discomfort may extend beyond just the premenstrual phase, though the study was small.

Review, 1997

Why do migraines happen around the menstrual cycle and are they connected to PMS?

This is a review article that explains the hormonal reasons for menstrual migraines and discusses their possible link to PMS, but does not present new research findings.

Survey study, 1997

Are optimism and social support related to fewer premenstrual mood and performance symptoms?

Optimism was linked to fewer premenstrual mood symptoms, but social support did not appear to matter for symptoms. Optimism did not help with performance or concentration problems.

Survey study, 1997

Does asthma get worse before your period?

Yes, some women with asthma notice their symptoms get worse just before or during menstruation. This pattern is documented and appears to be related to hormone changes, though the exact cause isn't fully understood.

Survey study, 1997

Do marked mood changes happen mainly before menstruation?

Marked mood changes happen just as often after menstruation as before, so cycle phase is not a good predictor of mood. Social relationships predict mood changes much better than cycle timing does.

Survey study, 1997

How do hormones, sexual interest, and mood change during the menstrual cycle?

Testosterone clearly changes across the cycle. Women without premenstrual complaints had higher estradiol levels and different sexual interest patterns compared to women with complaints.

Non-randomised trial, 1997

Does testosterone relate to aggressive behavior across the menstrual cycle?

No clear link. Testosterone levels rose around ovulation but aggressive behavior did not change. Women's emotional symptoms like irritability predicted aggression better than testosterone levels.

Cohort study, 1997

Do migraines get worse at certain times in the menstrual cycle?

Only 20% of the women showed a significant relationship between their menstrual cycle and migraines. For those who did, the menstrual cycle explained a substantial amount of their migraine patterns, but the study suggests fewer women are substantially affected than previously thought.

Survey study, 1997

Are women more likely to need psychiatric hospitalization at certain points in their menstrual cycle?

Yes. Significantly more women were admitted to emergency psychiatric care during the late luteal phase (before period) and during menstruation, and more had premenstrual syndrome symptoms.

Survey study, 1997

Does the menstrual cycle affect compulsive hair-pulling?

Yes. Women reported premenstrual worsening of hair-pulling urges, frequency, and difficulty controlling the behavior, with improvement during menstruation. Pregnancy effects were variable.

Survey study, 1997

What does research show about food intake and mood changes during the menstrual cycle?

A review of research found limited scientific evidence for most claims about food affecting mood during the cycle. Health professionals should tell women that the relationship is complex and needs more study.

Non-randomised trial, 1996

Do women with PMDD have different brain wave patterns linked to alcoholism risk?

Yes. Women with PMDD showed different patterns in brain waves and electrical responses compared to healthy women. Those with a family history of alcoholism showed even more pronounced differences, suggesting PMDD and alcoholism risk may share biological mechanisms.

Survey study, 1996

Does how women react to jealousy change during the menstrual cycle?

Yes. Women showed stronger physical signs of emotional reaction to jealousy during the preovulatory phase, especially when imagining emotional rather than sexual betrayal.

Survey study, 1996

Are PMS symptoms connected to steroid hormone levels?

Women with PMS had higher estradiol and lower progesterone than control women. Symptom peaks occurred 1 day after pregnenolone sulfate peaked or 3 to 4 days after other steroid peaks. Higher luteal estradiol and certain other steroids related to worse symptoms.

Interview study, 1996

Do antidepressants help treat PMDD and similar conditions?

The evidence suggests antidepressants probably help, but the research quality is too varied to be certain. Better studies are needed.

Survey study, 1996

How does the menstrual cycle affect the link between stress and migraines?

The menstrual cycle changed how women coped with stress and how often they had migraines. The connection between stress and migraines was stronger at certain points in the cycle.

Survey study, 1995

Is premenstrual syndrome related to depression?

The evidence suggests yes. Women with PMS are more likely to have had depression, and antidepressants help both conditions.

Survey study, 1995

Does marital communication change during the menstrual cycle?

Yes, according to this study, married couples reported less marital communication during the premenstrual phase than the postmenstrual phase. More severe premenstrual symptoms were linked with even less communication. However, this was a small study in Mexico only.

Survey study, 1994

Do women with PMS perceive stress and social support differently at different times in their menstrual cycle?

Yes. All women perceived more stressors as severe during the premenstrual phase, but only women with PMS reported lower satisfaction with their social support and self-esteem at that time. This suggests the cycle affects how women with PMS view their stress and relationships.

Survey study, 1994

How do daily stress and ways of coping relate to menstrual symptoms?

Women who experience more frequent or severe daily stressors report more menstrual symptoms in all phases of their cycle. Using distancing as a coping strategy is associated with fewer premenstrual symptoms and less menstrual tension.

Survey study, 1993

How do families cope when a woman has premenstrual symptoms?

Families with women who have more PMS symptoms use spiritual or religious coping more often. These families may also tend to keep problems private and avoid talking about them with others.

Survey study, 1993

Does magnesium help with PMS?

Magnesium appears to influence PMS symptoms and may interact with estrogen, but this is a review article, not a study of people receiving treatment, so we cannot say whether magnesium actually helps.

Survey study, 1993

Do women with diabetes have different menstrual symptoms than women without diabetes?

Yes. Women with diabetes reported changes in blood sugar around their period. They also had later periods starting in life, more irregular cycles, and less severe PMS compared to women without diabetes.

Survey study, 1993

Does menstrual cycle phase affect how often women get infection symptoms?

Women reported more infection symptoms during menstruation and the week before, compared to the middle of their cycle. However, this appears linked more to stress and menstrual distress than to the cycle phase itself.

Survey study, 1992

Which coping strategies help reduce PMS symptoms?

Women with PMS who had more social support and structure in their lives had less severe symptoms. Women who monitored their stress more closely tended to have worse symptoms.

Survey study, 1992

Do women with menstrual cycle symptoms have worse overall health and well-being?

Women with perimenstrual symptoms reported more physical health problems, lower psychological well-being, less satisfaction with social life, and less social support. This held true even though they had similar jobs and education to women without symptoms.

Survey study, 1992

Does PMS affect how married couples get along?

Yes. Women with PMS and their husbands report worse relationship quality in the second half of the menstrual cycle, though the first half shows no difference from couples without PMS.

Survey study, 1992

Can daily symptom tracking reliably diagnose PMS?

No. Five different rating methods that doctors have used to diagnose PMS from daily symptom tracking could not reliably separate women with diagnosed PMS from women without symptoms.

Survey study, 1991

How do stress hormones affect the menstrual cycle and PMS?

Stress hormones in the brain can suppress the hormones needed for normal menstruation and ovulation. Changes in certain brain chemicals during the cycle may be linked to PMS symptoms, but evidence comes mainly from animal studies and theory rather than clinical trials.

Survey study, 1991

Are women with PMS less satisfied with their relationships?

Yes, women with PMS reported significantly more dissatisfaction with their marriages and sexual relationships than women without PMS. The study found no effect of age on this difference.

Non-randomised trial, 1991

Does personality type affect how women report premenstrual symptoms?

Women with neurotic personality traits reported more premenstrual symptoms than stable women, especially on retrospective questionnaires rather than daily records. This suggests how women are asked about symptoms matters as much as whether they have them.

Survey study, 1991

What premenstrual symptoms do Icelandic women experience?

Icelandic women experience the same kinds of premenstrual symptoms as women in other countries, most commonly bloating, mood swings, irritability, and abdominal pain. Over 40% say these symptoms harm their relationships with partners and children.

Case report, 1991

Can spinal adjustments help premenstrual syndrome symptoms?

One woman's symptoms improved with spinal adjustments. More research is needed to know whether it truly works.

Interview study, 1991

Is premenstrual depression the same as depression from a mood disorder?

For many women with PMS, the depression before their period is similar in type and severity to major depressive disorder, except it lasts shorter. Women with a history of depression after childbirth were more likely to have severe premenstrual depression.

Study, 1990

Can family therapy help PMS?

A single case showed that when a nurse used family therapy techniques with a couple, it changed how they interacted and helped with PMS symptoms.

Survey study, 1990

Are women more likely to die at certain times in their menstrual cycle?

No. Deaths from all causes were spread evenly across all phases of the menstrual cycle, with no clear pattern.

Case-control study, 1990

Are brain chemistry changes linked to missing periods in women with eating disorders?

The study found that women with bulimia who stop bingeing have changes in a brain chemical called noradrenaline, and those who stopped menstruating showed the lowest levels. However, this is a very small study that does not prove whether the chemistry change causes period loss.

Study, 1990

Do men notice premenstrual changes in women?

Yes. 99 college men said they believe women experience premenstrual changes including mood swings, hostility, low self-esteem, physical discomfort, and behavioral changes.

Survey study, 1990

Is anxiety related to premenstrual syndrome?

Yes. Women with higher levels of anxiety trait are significantly more likely to have premenstrual syndrome, especially psychological symptoms like mood changes.

Non-randomised trial, 1990

Does testosterone affect sexual behavior differently in pill users versus non-users?

Birth control pill users and non-users had similar sexual activity overall. Only non-users showed cycle-related drops in testosterone and matched decreases in sexual desire. Testosterone levels did not predict actual sexual activity in either group.

Survey study, 1990

Is premenstrual bloating different from bloating at other times of month?

Not really. Daily changes in weight and tummy size were similar whether it was premenstrual or not, suggesting mild bloating is just a normal, everyday experience for many women rather than a separate 'abnormal' condition.

Study, 1989

How do men respond to their partners' PMS symptoms?

Men use a variety of coping strategies when their partners have PMS symptoms. Some of these strategies might be improved with support from healthcare providers, but the study does not describe which strategies worked best.

Survey study, 1989

Does personality dysfunction change during the menstrual cycle in women with PMS?

No. Personality issues were reported equally in both the follicular and luteal phases, even in women with PMS.

Survey study, 1989

How do stress and lifestyle affect perimenstrual symptoms?

Chronic stress was significantly linked to more severe perimenstrual symptoms. Of lifestyle factors tested, only the amount of strenuous exercise showed a meaningful association with symptoms.

Survey study, 1989

Do mood disorders affect premenstrual depression and attention across the cycle?

Only 8 of 16 women with a mood disorder history actually had premenstrual depression when tracked daily. Those who did showed worse mood premenstrually, but both groups showed the same attention patterns in both phases.

Survey study, 1989

What is the difference between premenstrual syndrome and dysmenorrhea?

They are different conditions that occur at different times in the menstrual cycle and require different treatments.

Survey study, 1989

Does mercury from dental fillings cause mental health problems?

People with amalgam fillings reported different mental health than those without, and some reported symptoms improved after fillings were removed, but this does not prove mercury causes the problems.

Survey study, 1989

Do women's memories of premenstrual depression match their daily mood ratings?

Only about half of women who reported major premenstrual depression on a questionnaire showed matching depression in daily tracking. Women with confirmed depression had worse energy and physical pain too.

Survey study, 1989

Do women with PMS experience more pain if their family members had pain problems?

Yes, for women with PMS. Those who had more family members with pain problems reported more frequent pain themselves, but this link was not seen in women without PMS.

Survey study, 1989

Does mood change during the menstrual cycle?

No clear difference in mood was found across the menstrual cycle. Instead, the day of the week mattered much more. Both men and women had better mood on weekends.

Survey study, 1987

What is the relationship between mood disorders and the menstrual cycle?

The paper suggests that PMS, which involves mood, thinking, and behavioral symptoms, might help researchers understand how biology affects mood regulation. The exact relationship remains unclear.

Survey study, 1987

Do oral contraceptive pills reduce premenstrual symptoms?

Pills reduce some specific symptoms like anxiety, mood changes, and water retention. However, women on pills reported similar total numbers of symptoms as those not on pills.

Survey study, 1986

What health and psychological problems do women with PMS have?

Women with moderate to severe PMS had significantly more undetected medical, psychological, and marital problems than women without PMS. The study doesn't specify what those problems were.

Cohort study, 1986

How common are symptoms linked to the menstrual cycle?

At least 40% of women experience some symptoms tied to their menstrual cycle. Only 2% to 10% report severe symptoms. When women remember their symptoms later, they may report more variation than they reported as it was happening.

Survey study, 1986

Do premenstrual symptoms affect the whole family, not just the woman?

Yes, this small survey found premenstrual symptoms were linked to more family conflict, less closeness, and worse communication, though it cannot prove cause and effect.

Study, 1986

What progress have researchers made in understanding PMS?

Researchers are making progress in defining and diagnosing PMS, but many important questions remain about whether PMS is one condition or many, and how it relates to mental health conditions.

Study, 1986

What are the typical symptoms of PMS and who gets it?

The most common symptoms are irritability, depression, and abdominal bloating. PMS is found across women of different ages and life situations.

Survey study, 1986

Does the nervous system work differently before your period and does this affect your mood?

Yes. Before your period, women had lower brain alertness and higher nervous system activity, which were linked to more negative moods.

Study, 1985

What psychological patterns do women with PMS show?

Women seeking treatment for PMS show various psychological patterns. About 36% have normal psychological profiles, while 25% have depression year-round, and 42% report marriage distress.

Survey study, 1985

Which menstrual cycle features relate to how severe premenstrual symptoms are?

PMS symptom severity increases along with period pain (dysmenorrhea) and premenstrual spotting, but not with other menstrual cycle features. Social and psychological factors matter more for symptom severity than any menstrual cycle characteristic.

Survey study, 1984

Why do PMS studies give such different results?

Because researchers have not carefully defined what PMS is, chosen groups of women who are similar to each other, or asked clear questions before starting their studies.

Cohort study, 1984

What affects menstrual patterns in teenage girls?

Exercise and body fat did not affect menstrual regularity or pain. However, girls living at boarding school (away from home) were more likely to develop irregular cycles than girls living at home.

Survey study, 1983

Does the menstrual cycle cause mental health problems?

The menstrual cycle likely does not cause mental health problems on its own. The authors argue that mood and mental health are affected by a combination of hormonal changes, personality, stress, and life circumstances.

Survey study, 1981

Could endorphins cause premenstrual and postpartum depression?

This is a proposed theory, not proven by research. The authors suggest that changes in endorphin levels (natural chemicals that affect mood and pain) might contribute to depression before the period and after birth, since both endorphins and estrogen drop rapidly at these times.

Survey study, 1981

Are premenstrual changes linked to specific types of mental disorders?

Yes. Specific types of premenstrual changes were linked to specific types of mental disorders. Premenstrual changes with depression may represent a mild form of mood disorder.

Study, 1980

Does personality type affect whether women develop premenstrual tension?

Standard personality tests did not show that personality type predicts premenstrual tension, but women did report higher anxiety and more symptoms during the menstrual phase.

Survey study, 1979

Is research on menstruation biased, and does it cause wrong conclusions about cause and effect?

Yes. Research often incorrectly assumes that because hormone levels, mood, and behavior all change together during the cycle, one must cause the other. A pilot study found that early education about menstruation was linked to better task performance.

Survey study, 1979

Are moods linked to hormone levels during the menstrual cycle?

In this group of healthy women, mood and enjoyment of activities did not change during different cycle phases, and there was no relationship between mood and the levels of reproductive hormones.

Survey study, 1979

Is psychiatric illness connected to premenstrual symptoms?

Yes. There is a clear relationship between having psychiatric symptoms and reporting premenstrual complaints.

Survey study, 1979

What social and psychological factors are linked to premenstrual tension and menstrual pain?

Many factors are linked including age, country of birth, marital status, work attitudes, smoking, drinking, childbearing, sex life, and psychological factors. The study cannot determine if these factors cause PMS.

Survey study, 1979

Are hormone levels abnormal in women with premenstrual tension syndrome?

No. Hormone levels themselves are not greatly abnormal. How the different hormones relate to and balance each other is probably more important than individual hormone levels.

Survey study, 1976

Is premenstrual mood problems linked to depression disorder?

Yes. Women with a history of depressive disorder were significantly more likely to have premenstrual mood symptoms. Women with other psychiatric disorders were not.

Survey study, 1976

Does sleep affect luteinizing hormone levels?

In this small study, luteinizing hormone levels decreased during sleep. When sleep timing was reversed to daytime, the hormone still decreased during sleep in the same pattern.

Survey study, 1975

Does a mother's menstrual cycle affect how she responds to her child's illness?

Yes, mothers about to have or having their period were more likely to bring their children to the doctor than other women. However, their children were actually less sick than the children brought by other mothers.

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