---
title: Do some women report having PMS when they don't actually have it?
description: Some women reported high typical PMS symptoms but their actual daily symptom tracking showed no clear pattern. These women tended to have more negative feelin
url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/contribution-of-generalized-negative-affect-to-elevated-menstrual-cycle-symptom-1995/
---

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- Do some women report having PMS when they don't actually have it?

Survey study, 1995

# Do some women report having PMS when they don't actually have it?

Some women reported high typical PMS symptoms but their actual daily symptom tracking showed no clear pattern. These women tended to have more negative feelings overall, though the effect was small.

 Early or limited evidence

121 women self-identified as having PMS

## What they did

121 women filled out a questionnaire about their typical PMS symptoms, then rated their actual symptoms daily for one menstrual cycle. They also completed a questionnaire measuring their general positive and negative feelings.

## What they found

A clear group of women reported high typical PMS symptoms on the questionnaire, but when tracked daily over their cycle, their actual symptoms showed no strong patterns. This group also reported higher negative feelings overall, though the difference was small.

## What it means for you

For some women, the label 'PMS' and a general tendency to think negatively may shape how much they believe their symptoms bother them, separate from actual symptoms. Providers should use daily symptom tracking plus questionnaires to diagnose PMS accurately. This study only tracked one cycle.

121

Women studied

1

Menstrual cycle tracked

5

Week observation period

## About the study

Original title Contribution of generalized negative affect to elevated menstrual cycle symptom reporting Authors van den Akker O, Sharifian N, Packer A et al. Journal Health care for women international Year 1995 Study design Survey study What was tested None - observational study Read the paper [doi.org/10.1080/07399339509516177](https://doi.org/10.1080/07399339509516177)

## Topics

[Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Menstrual cycle and mood](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-cycle-mood/)[Stigma, attitudes and culture](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-stigma-culture/)

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

Case-control study, 2026

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

Systematic review, 2012

Does the menstrual cycle cause negative mood, especially before your period?

Study, 2026

What coping strategies help women manage PMS symptoms?

Cohort study, 2026

Does the menstrual cycle phase affect how much physical activity women do?

Cohort study, 2026

How do beliefs about control and ways of handling emotions affect distress before your period?

Randomised trial, 2025

Does asking about positive experiences change how women report premenstrual symptoms?

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