--- title: Does the menstrual cycle affect how severe OCD symptoms are? | Niyora description: Yes. For many women with OCD, symptoms get worse before their period, with nearly half reporting this pattern. The menstrual cycle should be considered when a url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/female-hormones-affect-symptom-severity-in-obsessive-compulsive-disorder-2006/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - Does the menstrual cycle affect how severe OCD symptoms are? Survey study, 2006 # Does the menstrual cycle affect how severe OCD symptoms are? Yes. For many women with OCD, symptoms get worse before their period, with nearly half reporting this pattern. The menstrual cycle should be considered when assessing OCD severity. Early or limited evidence 101 women with obsessive-compulsive disorder who completed a questionnaire ## What they did They sent questionnaires to 350 women with OCD and asked about symptom changes during the menstrual cycle, pregnancy, menopause, use of hormonal contraceptives, and medication. They asked women to rate their OCD symptom severity at three times during their menstrual cycle. 101 women completed and returned the questionnaire. ## What they found 49 women reported that OCD symptoms got worse before their period. 9 women reported worsening during menopause. During pregnancy, 17 women reported symptoms got worse but 11 women reported symptoms got better. ## What it means for you For a large number of women with OCD, symptoms become more severe before the period, suggesting hormones affect OCD. The menstrual cycle should be tracked when assessing OCD severity. The study had a low response rate (only 29% of questionnaires were returned), so results may not represent all women with OCD. 49 Women reporting OCD worsening before period 101 Completed questionnaires returned 350 Total questionnaires sent ## About the study Original title Female hormones affect symptom severity in obsessive-compulsive disorder Authors Vulink NC, Denys D, Bus L et al. Journal International clinical psychopharmacology Year 2006 Study design Survey study Participants 17 What was tested None Read the paper [doi.org/10.1097/01.yic.0000199454.62423.99](https://doi.org/10.1097/01.yic.0000199454.62423.99) ## Topics [Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pmdd/)[Premenstrual exacerbation (PME)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pme/)[Low mood and depression](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-depression-mood/)[SSRIs and antidepressants](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-ssri/)[Oral contraceptives and drospirenone](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-hormonal-contraceptives/)[Anxiety disorders and OCD](https://niyora.com/research/topics/comorbidity-anxiety-disorders/)[Schizophrenia and psychosis](https://niyora.com/research/topics/comorbidity-psychosis/)[Perimenopause and menopause](https://niyora.com/research/topics/comorbidity-perimenopause/)[Pregnancy and postpartum](https://niyora.com/research/topics/comorbidity-postpartum/)[Work and productivity](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-work/) 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 Review, 2002 What are the reproductive-related mood disorders and how are they connected? Non-randomised trial, 2014 Does hormone therapy help women with depression linked to periods and menopause? Randomised trial, 2001 Do changing reproductive hormones disrupt the body's internal clock and cause mood disorders? Study, 2026 Do anxiety and depression get worse before your period if you already have a mental health condition? Study, 2025 Can blood markers that predict depression after childbirth also predict PMDD? Review, 2012 Is depression linked to hormonal changes during the menstrual cycle, pregnancy, and menopause? Ask AI about this page Copy prompt ChatGPT ↗ Claude ↗ Perplexity ↗ Google AI Mode ↗ Grok ↗