Survey study, 2023
Does repetitive worrying make PMS symptoms worse?
No. This study of 232 women found that those with higher rumination did not have worse PMS symptoms or different symptom patterns across the menstrual cycle.
What they did
232 women completed a questionnaire about their tendency to ruminate (repetitive thinking), then tracked their emotional, behavioral, and physical symptoms daily for 2-3 months using the Daily Record of Severity of Problems.
What they found
Higher rumination did not predict worse baseline symptoms, faster worsening during the luteal phase (when hormone levels change), or slower recovery after menstruation began. This remained true even when looking only at women with noticeable cycle-related symptoms.
What it means for you
This challenges the theory that repetitive worrying makes PMS worse. The study used strong methods with a large sample and detailed daily tracking, which strengthens the findings. However, it does not tell us whether rumination has no effect in other groups, or what other factors might explain PMS symptoms.
232
women studied
30.93
mean age in years
2-3 months
daily tracking duration
About the study
- Original title
- The role of rumination in shaping emotional symptom trajectories across the menstrual cycle
- Authors
- Hafsah Tauseef, Tory Anne Eisenlohr-Moul, Susan S. Girdler
- Journal
- Psychoneuroendocrinology
- Year
- 2023
- Study design
- Survey study
- Participants
- 232
- What was tested
- None
- Open access
- Yes
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1016/j.psyneuen.2023.106161
Topics
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