--- title: Does mood and physical distress follow a pattern through the menstrual cycle? description: Yes. Mood peaks in the late follicular phase and declines in the luteal phase. Physical distress increases in the second half of the cycle and peaks in the la url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/mood-sexuality-hormones-and-the-menstrual-cycle-i-changes-in-mood-and-physical-1983/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - Does mood and physical distress follow a pattern through the menstrual cycle? Interview study, 1983 # Does mood and physical distress follow a pattern through the menstrual cycle? Yes. Mood peaks in the late follicular phase and declines in the luteal phase. Physical distress increases in the second half of the cycle and peaks in the late luteal phase. Early or limited evidence 55 women with normal ovulatory cycles, including one-third with severe clinic PMS, one-third with history of PMS, and one-third without PMS ## What they did Fifty-five women with normal cycles tracked mood and physical symptoms across the menstrual cycle. One-third had severe PMS, one-third had a history of PMS, and one-third had no PMS. Researchers divided each cycle into six hormonally distinct phases based on hormone measurements. ## What they found Self-ratings of well-being peaked in the late follicular phase and declined throughout the luteal half of the cycle. Physical distress increased during the second half of the cycle, reaching a maximum in the late luteal phase. This pattern was pronounced and statistically significant in women with clinic PMS and non-clinic PMS. ## What it means for you Mood and physical state are clearly linked to hormonal phases of the menstrual cycle. It remains unclear whether severe PMS represents an extreme form of normal changes or is qualitatively different. This is a small, older study without detailed comparison groups. 55 women tracked in study 6 hormonally distinct cycle phases 1/3 had clinic PMS ## About the study Original title Mood, sexuality, hormones and the menstrual cycle. I. Changes in mood and physical state: description of subjects and method Authors Sanders D, Warner P, Bäckström T et al. Journal Psychosomatic medicine Year 1983 Study design Interview study Participants 55 What was tested None; this was an observational study Read the paper [doi.org/10.1097/00006842-198312000-00003](https://doi.org/10.1097/00006842-198312000-00003) ## Topics [Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Menstrual cycle and mood](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-cycle-mood/) 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, 2026 What genetic factors are linked to premenstrual symptoms? Randomised trial, 2026 Does aerobic or resistance exercise reduce anxiety in women with PMS? Study, 2026 How do women with PMDD process emotions differently in their brains? Systematic review, 2026 Why do some women experience mood changes linked to their menstrual cycle? Case-control study, 2026 Do women with PMS handle emotions differently at different times of the cycle? Survey study, 2025 Does PMDD or PMS affect quality of life? Ask AI about this page Copy prompt ChatGPT ↗ Claude ↗ Perplexity ↗ Google AI Mode ↗ Grok ↗