--- title: Does experiencing stressful life events change how your mood varies during your menstrual cycle? description: Yes. Women who experienced more stressful or traumatic life events show bigger mood and mental health changes during the premenstrual phase, particularly incr url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/cumulative-stressor-exposure-predicts-menstrual-cycle-affective-changes-in-a-2024/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - Does experiencing stressful life events change how your mood varies during your menstrual cycle? Cohort study, 2024 # Does experiencing stressful life events change how your mood varies during your menstrual cycle? Yes. Women who experienced more stressful or traumatic life events show bigger mood and mental health changes during the premenstrual phase, particularly increases in suicidal thoughts. Moderate study design 114 outpatients with past-month suicidal ideation, tracked across 6187 daily reports over 1-3 menstrual cycles ## What they did Researchers followed 114 outpatients with past-month suicidal ideation across 1-3 menstrual cycles. Participants reported their daily negative emotions and suicidal thoughts. They completed a questionnaire about stressful events throughout their lives. Researchers analyzed whether lifetime stress exposure predicted changes in mood and suicidal thoughts across the cycle. ## What they found Greater lifetime stressor exposure predicted stronger increases in active suicidal ideation during the premenstrual phase. Stress before puberty (pre-menarche) significantly increased the cyclicity of active suicidal ideation more than stress after puberty (post-menarche). Exposure to interpersonal loss stressors predicted greater premenstrual changes in negative mood, passive suicidal ideation, and active suicidal ideation. Mood swings, anger, rejection sensitivity, and interpersonal conflict showed more severe premenstrual patterns in those with higher lifetime stressor exposure. ## What it means for you If you experienced significant stress or trauma, you may have stronger mood changes during your menstrual cycle. Stress before puberty may have particularly strong effects. This suggests emotional reactivity to hormones is shaped by life experiences. The study only included people with recent suicidal ideation, so findings may not apply broadly. 114 participants with recent suicidal ideation 6187 total daily ratings collected early stress increased cyclicity vs later stress ## About the study Original title Cumulative stressor exposure predicts menstrual cycle affective changes in a transdiagnostic outpatient sample with past-month suicidal ideation Authors Nagpal A, Barone JC, Tauseef H et al. Journal Psychological medicine Year 2024 Study design Cohort study Participants 6,187 What was tested None Open access Yes Read the paper [doi.org/10.1017/s0033291724001661](https://doi.org/10.1017/s0033291724001661) Original abstract Background: Affective responses to the menstrual cycle vary widely. Some individuals experience severe symptoms like those with premenstrual dysphoric disorder, while others have minimal changes. The reasons for these differences are unclear, but prior studies suggest stressor exposure may play a role. However, research in at-risk psychiatric samples is lacking. Methods: In a large clinical sample, we conducted a prospective study of how lifetime stressors relate to degree of affective change across the cycle. 114 outpatients with past-month suicidal ideation (SI) provided daily ratings ( n = 6187) of negative affect and SI across 1-3 menstrual cycles. Participants completed the Stress and Adversity Inventory (STRAIN), which measures different stressor exposures (i.e. interpersonal loss, physical danger) throughout the life course, including before and after menarche. Multilevel polynomial growth models tested the relationship between menstrual cycle time and symptoms, moderated by stressor exposure. Results: Greater lifetime stressor exposure predicted a more pronounced perimenstrual increase in active SI, along with marginally significant similar patterns for negative affect and passive SI. Additionally, pre-menarche stressors significantly increased the cyclicity of active SI compared to post-menarche stressors. Exposure to more interpersonal loss stressors predicted greater perimenstrual symptom change of negative affect, passive SI and active SI. Exploratory item-level analyses showed that lifetime stressors moderated a more severe perimenstrual symptom trajectory for mood swings, anger/irritability, rejection sensitivity, and interpersonal conflict. Conclusion: These findings suggest that greater lifetime stressor exposure may lead to heightened emotional reactivity to ovarian hormone fluctuations, elevating the risk of psychopathology. Reproduced under CC-BY. ## Topics [Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pmdd/)[Menstrual cycle and mood](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-cycle-mood/)[Reproductive hormone sensitivity](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-hormone-sensitivity/)[Irritability and anger](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-irritability-anger/)[Mood swings and emotion regulation](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-emotional-regulation/)[Suicidality](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-suicidality/)[Stress](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-stress/)[Relationships and partners](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-relationships/)[Adolescents and young people](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-adolescents/) 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 Cohort study, 2023 Does the menstrual cycle affect how often women have suicidal thoughts? Survey study, 2025 What psychological and personal factors predict which university students will develop premenstrual syndrome? Cohort study, 2024 Does the menstrual cycle affect daily changes in suicidal thoughts? Survey study, 2026 Do teen girls with ADHD have more suicidal thoughts when angry before their period? Survey study, 2026 How do pre-menstrual symptoms affect the work and social life of young women? Non-randomised trial, 2024 Does cognitive-behavioral or mindfulness stress management help reduce PMS in high school girls? Ask AI about this page Copy prompt ChatGPT ↗ Claude ↗ Perplexity ↗ Google AI Mode ↗ Grok ↗