--- title: Does emotional processing change through the cycle if someone had postpartum depression? description: Yes. Women with a history of postpartum depression showed depression-like thinking patterns during the late luteal phase, like dwelling on negative self-views url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/cognitive-processing-of-emotional-information-during-menstrual-phases-in-women-2022/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - Does emotional processing change through the cycle if someone had postpartum depression? Survey study, 2022 # Does emotional processing change through the cycle if someone had postpartum depression? Yes. Women with a history of postpartum depression showed depression-like thinking patterns during the late luteal phase, like dwelling on negative self-views and remembering sad information better. Healthy women did not show this pattern. Moderate study design 32 women with history of postpartum depression and 43 women without ## What they did Thirty-two women with a history of postpartum depression and 43 women without were studied during the late follicular and late luteal phases. They completed computer tasks measuring attention to emotional words, self-focused thinking, and memory for emotions, plus questionnaires. ## What they found Women with postpartum depression history showed depression-like patterns on most tasks (negative self-evaluation and better recall of sad information) specifically during the late luteal phase. These menstrual-phase differences were not found in healthy women or on all tasks measured. The depression-like thinking patterns did not correspond with changes in self-reported mood. ## What it means for you Women who experienced postpartum depression may process emotions differently depending on their menstrual cycle phase, suggesting sensitivity to hormone fluctuations. However, thinking pattern changes didn't match mood changes, so the connection is complex. This is a small study and cannot prove cause and effect. 32 women with postpartum depression history 43 women without postpartum depression 2 menstrual phases tested ## About the study Original title Cognitive processing of emotional information during menstrual phases in women with and without postpartum depression: differential sensitivity to changes in gonadal steroids Authors Bloch M, Helpman L, Gilboa-Schechtman E et al. Journal Archives of women's mental health Year 2022 Study design Survey study Participants 43 What was tested Cognitive testing (no treatment tested) Read the paper [doi.org/10.1007/s00737-022-01235-7](https://doi.org/10.1007/s00737-022-01235-7) ## Topics [Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pmdd/)[Menstrual cycle and mood](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-cycle-mood/)[Low mood and depression](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-depression-mood/)[Cognition, concentration and memory](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-cognition/)[Pregnancy and postpartum](https://niyora.com/research/topics/comorbidity-postpartum/) 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, 2017 Are prolactin and beta-arrestin1 different in PMDD versus PMS? Systematic review, 2026 Why do some women experience mood changes linked to their menstrual cycle? Cohort study, 2025 Do women with a history of PMS or PMDD have more depression during pregnancy and after birth? Cohort study, 2023 Is PMDD a valid medical diagnosis? Survey study, 2022 What causes PMS and PMDD and what new treatments are being studied? Survey study, 2020 What symptoms best predict whether PMDD will seriously affect daily life? Ask AI about this page Copy prompt ChatGPT ↗ Claude ↗ Perplexity ↗ Google AI Mode ↗ Grok ↗