---
title: Does the menstrual cycle phase affect stress hormones and psychiatric symptoms?
description: This small pilot study found patterns suggesting the follicular phases may have higher mood symptoms, but the differences in stress hormone levels across the
url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/biological-sex-and-menstrual-cycle-phase-modulation-of-cortisol-levels-and-2012/
---

- [Niyora](https://niyora.com/)
- [Research](https://niyora.com/research/)
- [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/)
- Does the menstrual cycle phase affect stress hormones and psychiatric symptoms?

Study, 2012

# Does the menstrual cycle phase affect stress hormones and psychiatric symptoms?

This small pilot study found patterns suggesting the follicular phases may have higher mood symptoms, but the differences in stress hormone levels across the cycle were not clear enough to confirm.

 Early or limited evidence

Young adults without psychiatric diagnosis

## What they did

This pilot study measured cortisol (a stress hormone) in young adults without psychiatric diagnoses and tracked self-reported menstrual cycle phase and psychiatric symptoms. Participants also experienced an acute stressor while researchers measured cortisol again.

## What they found

Stress hormone levels were lowest during the early follicular phase, medium during the late follicular phase, and highest during the mid-luteal phase, but these differences were not significant. Psychiatric symptoms were higher in women in the early and late follicular phases compared to men and compared to the mid-luteal phase. When exposed to stress, cortisol increased across all phases and both sexes. Men reported more psychotic-like symptoms than mid-luteal women.

## What it means for you

The menstrual cycle may influence both stress hormones and mood, though the connections are complex. This pilot study has significant limitations including self-reported cycle phase, a small sample, and non-clinical participants, so these findings are preliminary and need to be replicated.

3

menstrual cycle phases measured

## About the study

Original title Biological sex and menstrual cycle phase modulation of cortisol levels and psychiatric symptoms in a non-clinical sample of young adults Authors Walder DJ, Statucka M, Daly MP et al. Journal Psychiatry research Year 2012 Study design Study What was tested Acute stressor Read the paper [doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2011.09.009](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2011.09.009)

## Topics

[Stress](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-stress/)[Schizophrenia and psychosis](https://niyora.com/research/topics/comorbidity-psychosis/)

Research tells you what helps on average. Niyora helps on the day it hits.

Calm down, see it another way, and decide what to say, with a PMS and PMDD app built by a doctor.

## Related studies

Survey study, 2025

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

Survey study, 2024

Does exam stress make PMS worse?

Survey study, 1990

Does PMS come from a broken stress hormone system?

Lab study, 1983

Does being in heat change how female rats remember what they learned?

Ask AI about this page

Copy prompt

ChatGPT

↗

Claude

↗

Perplexity

↗

Google AI Mode

↗

Grok

↗