--- title: What hormonal and psychological factors affect PMS symptoms? | Niyora description: In a community sample of 257 women, PMS symptoms were higher in the days before menstruation and linked to progesterone levels. Stress and anxiety-prone perso url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/premenstrual-syndrome-pms-symptom-emergence-across-the-cycle-in-relation-to-2026/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - What hormonal and psychological factors affect PMS symptoms? Survey study, 2026 # What hormonal and psychological factors affect PMS symptoms? In a community sample of 257 women, PMS symptoms were higher in the days before menstruation and linked to progesterone levels. Stress and anxiety-prone personality traits also increased symptoms. Moderate study design 257 community women with natural menstrual cycles ## What they did Researchers studied 257 women with natural menstrual cycles in a community sample. Participants reported PMS symptoms and stress levels and provided saliva samples to measure progesterone and cortisol. Researchers examined personality traits and analyzed how these factors related to symptoms across the menstrual cycle within each person. ## What they found On average, women reported increased PMS symptoms in the days before menstruation and decreased symptoms at mid-cycle. This pattern was linked to progesterone levels. Higher stress and higher trait neuroticism (tendency to worry or feel anxious) were also positively correlated with PMS symptoms. The link between stress and symptoms remained significant even after accounting for personality differences. ## What it means for you PMS symptoms appear linked to progesterone levels, but stress and anxiety-related personality traits also play a role. This suggests both hormones and psychological factors matter for PMS. The main limitation is this is a cross-sectional study of one community sample, so we cannot prove that these factors cause symptoms, and findings may not apply to all women or to people with severe PMDD. 257 Women studied ## About the study Original title Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) symptom emergence across the cycle in relation to hormonal and psychological components in a community sample Authors Casto KV, Stern J Journal Psychoneuroendocrinology Year 2026 Study design Survey study Participants 257 What was tested None - observational study Open access Yes Read the paper [doi.org/10.1016/j.psyneuen.2026.107742](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psyneuen.2026.107742) ## Topics [Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pmdd/)[Menstrual cycle and mood](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-cycle-mood/)[Low mood and depression](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-depression-mood/)[Stress](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-stress/) 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 Case-control study, 2023 Do emotion regulation strategies help women with PMDD manage mood and stress hormones? Survey study, 2023 Does stress cause women with PMDD to eat emotionally? Cohort study, 2022 What are PMS and PMDD and how should they be diagnosed and treated? Survey study, 2022 Do stress and rumination increase with PMS severity? Case-control study, 2019 Do women with PMDD respond differently to stress? Randomised trial, 2018 Does a phosphatidylserine and phosphatidic acid supplement reduce PMS symptoms? Ask AI about this page Copy prompt ChatGPT ↗ Claude ↗ Perplexity ↗ Google AI Mode ↗ Grok ↗