---
title: What psychological causes explain PMS? | Niyora
description: No biological explanation exists yet for mood changes linked to the menstrual cycle. Medicines have not been better than placebo, and PMS may reflect how wome
url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/psychosocial-considerations-of-the-premenstrual-syndrome-1984/
---

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- What psychological causes explain PMS?

Survey study, 1984

# What psychological causes explain PMS?

No biological explanation exists yet for mood changes linked to the menstrual cycle. Medicines have not been better than placebo, and PMS may reflect how women view their femininity and themselves.

 Early or limited evidence

Conceptual discussion; no subjects studied

## What they did

Discussed whether women's moods and behavior change with the menstrual cycle. Reviewed attempts to treat negative psychological symptoms in the premenstrual phase with medicines. Examined psychological theories of how PMS develops.

## What they found

No biological explanation for psychological cyclicity has been found. Pharmacological treatment has not been significantly superior to placebo. Symptoms may reflect problems with feminine self-acceptance and self-esteem rather than purely biological causes. The way women attribute their mood changes to biology itself could affect their self-esteem.

## What it means for you

PMS may involve how women feel about themselves and being female, not only biology. Many basic scientific questions remain unsolved about cyclical moods, how to measure symptoms fairly, and which questionnaires are reliable.

Theory paper

No empirical data

## About the study

Original title Psychosocial considerations of the premenstrual syndrome Authors Bernsted L, Luggin R, Petersson B Journal Acta psychiatrica Scandinavica Year 1984 Study design Survey study What was tested None; review article Read the paper [doi.org/10.1111/j.1600-0447.1984.tb02519.x](https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1600-0447.1984.tb02519.x)

## Topics

[Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)

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