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.
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
Topics
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