--- title: Do women with irregular periods have different premenstrual mood changes than women with regular periods? description: No. Both women with irregular and regular periods showed similar increases in anxiety, depression, physical symptoms, and feelings of inadequacy before their url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/menstrual-related-mood-changes-in-patients-with-oligomenorrhea-1994/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - Do women with irregular periods have different premenstrual mood changes than women with regular periods? Study, 1994 # Do women with irregular periods have different premenstrual mood changes than women with regular periods? No. Both women with irregular and regular periods showed similar increases in anxiety, depression, physical symptoms, and feelings of inadequacy before their period, suggesting the mood changes are not caused by negative expectations. Early or limited evidence 13 women with irregular periods and 12 women with regular periods ## What they did Researchers studied 13 women with irregular periods and 12 women with regular periods. Each woman reported her symptoms once a week for 5 to 9 weeks. Researchers measured hormone levels to confirm when each woman was ovulating and tracked anxiety, depression, physical symptoms, and feelings of inadequacy. ## What they found Both groups showed a clear increase in total symptoms during the week before their period compared to other times of the month. Both groups reported higher anxiety, depression, physical symptoms, and feelings of inadequacy before menstruation. These premenstrual changes appeared in both women with irregular and regular periods. ## What it means for you Premenstrual mood and physical changes occur in both women with irregular and regular periods. This suggests the symptoms may not be caused just by negative expectations or cycle length, but rather by something about the menstrual cycle itself. However, this study was small and lasted only 5 to 9 weeks, so longer studies in larger groups would help confirm these findings. 13 Women with irregular periods 12 Women with regular periods 5-9 Weeks of tracking for each woman ## About the study Original title Menstrual-related mood changes in patients with oligomenorrhea Authors Facchinetti F, Neri I, Fava M et al. Journal Gynecologic and obstetric investigation Year 1994 Study design Study Participants 12 What was tested None (symptom tracking) Open access Yes Read the paper [doi.org/10.1159/000292463](https://doi.org/10.1159/000292463) Original abstract In order to evaluate the role of negative anticipation on self-report of premenstrual symptoms, we studied 13 oligomenorrheic and 12 control women with regular menses. Both hormonal and psychological measures (using the Symptom Rating Test) were obtained once a week for 5-9 weeks. The presence of ovulatory cycles was confirmed by progesterone levels > or = 3.0 ng/ml. In both groups, there was a significant increase in the total Symptom Rating Test score during the premenstrual phase with respect to the intermenstrual period. As far as specific symptoms were concerned, MANOVA showed significant premenstrual fluctuations in anxiety, depression, somatic symptoms, and inadequacy in both groups. These results suggest that premenstrual discomfort may be unrelated to both cycle length and negative anticipation of one's menses. Reproduced under CC-BY. ## Topics [Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Low mood and depression](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-depression-mood/)[Anxiety and tension](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-anxiety/) 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 Randomised trial, 2026 Does Kundalini Reiki help reduce PMS symptoms and improve quality of life? Systematic review, 2026 Does vitamin D supplementation help PMS symptoms? Systematic review, 2026 Do mindfulness and relaxation techniques help with PMS symptoms? Cohort study, 2025 Do women with PMS or PMDD report lower quality of life than women without these conditions? Cohort study, 2025 How common is PMS in Chinese teenage girls, and what factors are linked to it? Randomised trial, 2024 Does curcumin reduce depression, anxiety, and stress in women with PMS and dysmenorrhea? Ask AI about this page Copy prompt ChatGPT ↗ Claude ↗ Perplexity ↗ Google AI Mode ↗ Grok ↗