--- title: How common are mood and physical changes around menstruation? description: Very common. One in nine women reported severe pain, irritability or headache, and one in four had moderate to severe premenstrual tension. Psychological symp url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/the-effect-of-psychological-and-motor-changes-during-the-menstrual-cycle-on-1964/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - How common are mood and physical changes around menstruation? Survey study, 1964 # How common are mood and physical changes around menstruation? Very common. One in nine women reported severe pain, irritability or headache, and one in four had moderate to severe premenstrual tension. Psychological symptoms were linked to personality traits related to anxiety. Early or limited evidence 500 women aged 18 to 45 ## What they did 500 women aged 18 to 45 completed questionnaires about menstrual symptoms and personality type. Researchers looked for connections between symptom prevalence and personality traits using the Maudsley Personality Inventory. ## What they found One in nine women complained of severe pain, irritability, or headache. One in sixteen reported depression and tension. One in four suffered moderate or severe premenstrual tension and were more likely to have painful menstruation. Psychological symptoms such as irritability, depression and tension were highest in the premenstrual period and were strongly correlated with neuroticism, as were headaches and swelling. Painful menstruation itself was not correlated with neuroticism. All symptoms decreased with age and number of pregnancies. ## What it means for you Premenstrual symptoms are common and correlated with personality traits, particularly anxiety-related traits like neuroticism. This suggests psychological factors may play a role. However, the study relied on questionnaires without other confirmation, and the research is decades old and may not reflect current populations. 500 women surveyed 1 in 9 women with severe pain, irritability, or headache 1 in 4 women with moderate or severe premenstrual tension ## About the study Original title The Effect of Psychological and Motor Changes During the Menstrual Cycle on Women Athletes Authors J. Marrian Journal Bulletin / Year 1964 Study design Survey study Participants 500 What was tested None; questionnaire study. Open access Yes Read the paper [doi.org/10.1136/bjsm.1.3-4.54](https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsm.1.3-4.54) ## Topics [Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Menstrual cycle and mood](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-cycle-mood/)[Dysmenorrhea and period pain](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-dysmenorrhea/)[Low mood and depression](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-depression-mood/)[Anxiety and tension](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-anxiety/)[Irritability and anger](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-irritability-anger/)[Bloating, breast tenderness and physical symptoms](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-physical-symptoms/)[Pain and headache](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-pain/)[Students and academic performance](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-education/)[Adolescents and young people](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-adolescents/)[Athletes and sport](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-athletes/) 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, 2025 How common is PMS in Chinese teenage girls, and what factors are linked to it? Study, 2026 What are premenstrual syndrome and premenstrual dysphoric disorder? Survey study, 2025 What factors are linked to PMS in female graduate students? Survey study, 2024 What factors are associated with PMS and PMDD in adolescent and young women? Survey study, 2024 How common is dysmenorrhea related to PMS in university students, and how do they treat it? Survey study, 2023 How common are PMS and PMDD among college girls, and what are their symptoms? Ask AI about this page Copy prompt ChatGPT ↗ Claude ↗ Perplexity ↗ Google AI Mode ↗ Grok ↗