Survey study, 1987
Is mood different during the menstrual cycle in women who report menstrual symptoms?
Women who reported fewer menstrual symptoms had higher mood overall, but they paradoxically showed worse mood specifically during menstruation. This raises questions about how reliable women's self-reports of symptoms are.
What they did
Cross-sectional study. 110 women had their mood measured at three different phases of the menstrual cycle. Researchers looked at how this related to the number of menstrual symptoms they reported.
What they found
Women who reported fewer menstrual symptoms had generally higher mood scores. However, the women who reported fewer symptoms showed a specific drop in mood during menstruation. Birth control pill use did not affect mood variation across the cycle.
What it means for you
The relationship between menstrual symptoms and mood is complex and may not reflect actual biological changes. Women who report fewer symptoms might actually be less aware of or willing to report symptoms, or the relationship might work differently than expected.
110
women studied
About the study
- Original title
- Mood across the menstrual cycle and number of menstrual symptoms reported: a cross-sectional study
- Authors
- Chen AW, Filsinger E
- Journal
- Canadian journal of psychiatry. Revue canadienne de psychiatrie
- Year
- 1987
- Study design
- Survey study
- Participants
- 110
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1177/070674378703200606