King's College London

The Cycle Study is a collaborative project involving researchers from across the Institute of Psychology, Psychiatry & Neuroscience, alongside charity partner The PMDD Project.

The Cycle Study uses digital methods such as daily questionnaires and wearable devices to understand links between the menstrual cycle and mental health. This includes how premenstrual disorders relate to environmental factors and health indicators across the menstrual cycle.

Project background

There is a strong need for greater focus on women’s health. A key research priority, highlighted by the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, is to better understand the role of the menstrual cycle in mental health. This is important in the case of premenstrual disorders, in which physical and psychological symptoms heighten during the luteal phase and subside during menstruation and the follicular phase.

Premenstrual disorders include Pre-menstrual Syndrome (PMS), and Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD). PMS is the most common menstrual disorder, characterised by a range of repeated psychological and physical symptoms, and is estimated to clinically affect 20-30 per cent of people who menstruate.

PMDD is a severe form of mood disturbance estimated to affect around three-to-five per cent of people who menstruate. For many people with PMDD, rates of suicidal ideation and suicide attempts are high.

Despite the impact of premenstrual disorders, there are still large knowledge gaps, surrounding what causes symptoms, and how symptoms relate to other factors such as sleep, physical activity, and co-occurring health conditions.