Survey study, 2011
Do all women experience mood changes the same way across their menstrual cycle?
No. About 61% of women follow the classic PMS pattern, 13% show mood peaking mid-cycle instead, and 26% have no regular pattern.
What they did
213 female university students completed daily questionnaires about depression and anxiety for two menstrual cycles.
What they found
Three different patterns emerged: 61% showed the classic PMS pattern, 13% showed a mid-cycle pattern where symptoms peak mid-cycle instead of before the period, and 26% showed no cyclical pattern. Women with strong PMS patterns had lower average depression and anxiety than women with no cyclical pattern.
What it means for you
Not all women experience mood changes the same way across their cycle. Some women actually feel better before their period and worse mid-cycle, the opposite of what PMS looks like. The main limitation is that this studied only university students, so results may not apply to all women.
213
university students
61%
with classic PMS pattern
13%
with mid-cycle symptom peak
About the study
- Original title
- One woman's low is another woman's high: Paradoxical effects of the menstrual cycle
- Authors
- Kiesner J
- Journal
- Psychoneuroendocrinology
- Year
- 2011
- Study design
- Survey study
- Participants
- 213
- What was tested
- None
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1016/j.psyneuen.2010.06.007
Topics
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