---
title: Does your mood really change more across your cycle if you have premenstrual symptoms?
description: Yes, women who report significant premenstrual discomfort show pronounced mood swings across their cycle - with positive moods peaking around ovulation and ne
url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/changes-in-women-s-emotions-as-a-function-of-emotion-valence-self-determined-1997/
---

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- Does your mood really change more across your cycle if you have premenstrual symptoms?

Study, 1997

# Does your mood really change more across your cycle if you have premenstrual symptoms?

Yes, women who report significant premenstrual discomfort show pronounced mood swings across their cycle - with positive moods peaking around ovulation and negative moods peaking around menstruation. Women with very mild symptoms do not show this same pattern.

 Early or limited evidence

20 women, divided by self-reported premenstrual discomfort level

## What they did

20 women rated their emotions daily using a standard emotions scale. Researchers divided them based on whether they reported experiencing significant premenstrual discomfort or very mild premenstrual discomfort.

## What they found

Positive moods peaked at or about the time of ovulation and negative moods peaked at or about the time of menstruation. This pattern was much more pronounced in women who rated themselves as having significant premenstrual discomfort. Women with very mild discomfort did not show this same dramatic mood change pattern.

## What it means for you

If you notice big mood swings across your cycle, you are not imagining it - especially if you have premenstrual symptoms. Women without premenstrual symptoms experience more stable moods. The main limitation is the very small sample size (only 20 women), so these findings may not apply to everyone.

20

women

## About the study

Original title Changes in women's emotions as a function of emotion valence, self-determined category of premenstrual distress, and day in the menstrual cycle Authors Henderson BJ, Whissell C Journal Psychological reports Year 1997 Study design Study Participants 20 Read the paper [doi.org/10.2466/pr0.1997.80.3c.1272](https://doi.org/10.2466/pr0.1997.80.3c.1272)

## Topics

[Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Menstrual cycle and mood](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-cycle-mood/)

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

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Case-control study, 2026

Do women with PMS handle emotions differently at different times of the cycle?

Survey study, 2025

Does PMDD or PMS affect quality of life?

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