Dipartimento di Psicologia DPSS, Università di Padova, via Venezia 8, 35131 Padova, Italy.
Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2011 Jan;36(1):68-76. doi: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2010.06.007. Epub 2010 Jul 21.
Although past research on affective changes associated with the menstrual cycle has focussed on a specific pattern commonly referred to as Premenstrual Syndrome, there are compelling reasons to hypothesize that an opposite pattern, with a mid-cycle increase and a premenstrual low in symptoms, may also exist. Focusing on depression and anxiety, the present study tested whether this mid-cycle pattern of symptoms could be identified, using a sample of 213 female university students, who completed daily questionnaires for two menstrual cycles. Results confirmed the existence of a group of women who demonstrate the mid-cycle pattern of symptom changes (13%), in addition to the classic PMS pattern (61%), and individuals demonstrating no cyclical pattern of symptoms (26%). Moreover, women with a strong PMS pattern showed lower average levels of depression/anxiety than women with no cyclical changes. These findings require that current conceptions of menstrual-cycle related psychological changes be redefined to include the mid-cycle pattern, and suggest that women with strong PMS symptoms may actually benefit from a mid-cycle sense of wellness.
尽管过去与月经周期相关的情感变化的研究集中在一种通常被称为经前综合征的特定模式上，但有充分的理由假设，也可能存在相反的模式，即症状在月经中期增加，在月经前降低。本研究关注抑郁和焦虑，使用 213 名女大学生的样本，这些学生在两个月经周期内每天完成问卷，检验了是否可以识别这种月经中期的症状模式。结果证实，除了经典的经前综合征模式（61%）外，还有一部分女性表现出月经中期的症状变化模式（13%），以及没有症状周期性变化的个体（26%）。此外，具有强烈经前综合征模式的女性的抑郁/焦虑平均水平低于没有周期性变化的女性。这些发现要求重新定义当前与月经周期相关的心理变化概念，以包括月经中期模式，并表明具有强烈经前综合征症状的女性实际上可能受益于月经中期的健康感。
