---
title: Do women's reasons for drinking alcohol change across their menstrual cycle?
description: Yes. Women drink to cope with negative emotions more during menstruation and for social reasons more throughout their cycle. These changes predict how much al
url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/changes-in-coping-and-social-motives-for-drinking-and-alcohol-consumption-across-2018/
---

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- Do women's reasons for drinking alcohol change across their menstrual cycle?

Survey study, 2018

# Do women's reasons for drinking alcohol change across their menstrual cycle?

Yes. Women drink to cope with negative emotions more during menstruation and for social reasons more throughout their cycle. These changes predict how much alcohol women drink.

 Early or limited evidence

94 normally cycling women, mean age 22.9 years.

## What they did

A cross-sectional daily diary study of 94 normally cycling women aged 22.9 years on average. They completed daily smartphone surveys about drinking motives and alcohol consumption throughout one full menstrual cycle.

## What they found

Drinking motives differed by cycle phase. Coping drinking peaked during menstruation (days 1-5) and declined mid-cycle. Social motives showed a slight increasing trend across the cycle. Enhancement motives remained stable. Cycle-related changes in drinking motives predicted increased alcohol consumption. Coping drinking predicted more drinks menstrually (days 1-5), while social motives predicted more drinks during follicular and ovulatory phases (days 5-16).

## What it means for you

Women may drink more for different reasons at different times in their cycle, especially to cope with negative feelings during menstruation. Clinicians treating women with alcohol problems should consider cycle phase. The main limit is the small sample size.

94

Number of women in study

22.9 years

Mean age of participants

Days 1-5

Menstrual phase when coping drinking predicted more alcohol

## About the study

Original title Changes in coping and social motives for drinking and alcohol consumption across the menstrual cycle Authors Joyce KM, Hudson A, O'Connor R et al. Journal Depression and anxiety Year 2018 Study design Survey study What was tested None - observational study Open access Yes Read the paper [doi.org/10.1002/da.22699](https://doi.org/10.1002/da.22699)

## Topics

[Menstrual cycle and mood](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-cycle-mood/)[Apps and digital interventions](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-digital-health/)[Alcohol, smoking and substance use](https://niyora.com/research/topics/comorbidity-substance-use/)

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