PMS: Moods, measurements and interpretations

Abstract

While many women themselves associate the premenstrual phase of the menstrual cycle with mood disturbance, this association has not been consistently confirmed by research evidence. This inconsistency is, in part, due to methodological variations, a problem which is compounded by the effects of individual mood variability which are rarely controlled for when statistical techniques are applied. Participants (213 women and 73 men) completed a questionnaire which included the PANAS (Positive and Negative Affect Schedules), to establish levels of positive and negative mood both generally and on that day. Women also established the date of onset of their last menstrual period with the help of a diary listing recent events. Following Cooper & McConville (1990), data were analysed at a categorical level to take into account individual levels of mood variability. Results indicated that while 86% of women reported some degree of PMS, there was no evidence of mood disturbance consistent with PMS in the data. Results are discussed in relation to a range of substantive theoretical and methodological issues.