---
title: What causes premenstrual problems and how should we think about them?
description: Premenstrual problems result from three factors: menstruation itself, hormonal changes affecting brain chemistry (particularly serotonin), and individual vuln
url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/the-menstrual-cycle-and-the-well-being-of-women-1995/
---

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- What causes premenstrual problems and how should we think about them?

Review, 1995

# What causes premenstrual problems and how should we think about them?

Premenstrual problems result from three factors: menstruation itself, hormonal changes affecting brain chemistry (particularly serotonin), and individual vulnerability characteristics. This shifts away from calling all these problems PMS.

 Moderate study design

Review of research on menstrual cycle effects (not a primary study)

## What they did

Review examining evidence about premenstrual syndrome and proposing a three-factor model to better explain premenstrual problems. The authors evaluated the traditional PMS concept and presented evidence linking mood changes to serotonin activity in the brain.

## What they found

Premenstrual problems involve three factors: menstruation itself, hormonal cycling linked to changes in serotonin activity in the brain, and individual vulnerability characteristics unrelated to the cycle. Food cravings may be a marker of serotonin-related changes. The mood changes that occur around menstruation are linked to cycle-related alterations in serotonergic activity in the brain.

## What it means for you

Premenstrual problems are more complex than the traditional PMS diagnosis suggests. They involve the menstrual cycle plus how each woman's brain and body respond to hormonal changes. Understanding these problems may help explain why depression is more common in women.

Three factors

menstruation, hormonal timing, vulnerability

Serotonin

brain chemical linked to mood changes

Food cravings

may mark serotonin changes

## About the study

Original title The menstrual cycle and the well being of women Authors Bancroft J Journal Social science & medicine (1982) Year 1995 Study design Review What was tested None (review article) Read the paper [doi.org/10.1016/0277-9536(95)00045-9](https://doi.org/10.1016/0277-9536(95)00045-9)

## Topics

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

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, 2026

What genetic factors are linked to premenstrual symptoms?

Randomised trial, 2026

Does aerobic or resistance exercise reduce anxiety in women with PMS?

Study, 2026

How do women with PMDD process emotions differently in their brains?

Systematic review, 2026

Why do some women experience mood changes linked to their menstrual cycle?

Case-control study, 2026

Do women with PMS handle emotions differently at different times of the cycle?

Survey study, 2025

Does PMDD or PMS affect quality of life?

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