Stress is common in many people’s lives and it can make straightforward tasks challenging. In fact, stress can affect both the way we think and how our bodies function.
Psychology researcher Jenna Rieder, PhD, studies how chronic stress and trauma interact with physiology. “I am particularly interested in how stress-related changes in the body connect with outcomes like risk for mental illness,” she says.
In one recent study, she and colleagues at the University of Nevada assessed how the hormone estradiol impacts everyday emotions of women who have experienced trauma. Fluctuations in estradiol have been linked to mood, cognition and the body’s stress response. “But it’s unclear if estradiol levels can affect the emotions of women who have experienced traumatic events,” says Dr. Rieder.
Her team showed that among women exposed to trauma, daily emotional experiences — including symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) — differed by menstrual cycle phase. They found that participants experienced more PTSD symptoms and greater mood changes during days of lower estradiol levels.
These results might help clinicians anticipate when symptoms increase in their trauma-exposed patients who menstruate, and could also guide patients’ own responses to stress.
“Stress is often viewed as purely psychological,” says Dr. Rieder. “I hope that our studies help people recognize how stress is linked to our natural biology and physical health.”
