Assistant Professor of Psychology Anandi Ehman and Molly Jacobs ’25 recently had their article “Cycles and the Psyche: Exploring Links Between Menstruation and Mental Health with a Comparative Analysis of PMS and PMDD” published in the journal Women’s Reproductive Health.
As part of the Department of Psychology’s PSYC310 Scientific Writing and Professional Development course, students spend the semester conducting research on a topic of their choice and write a substantive scoping review of the scholarship on their particular topic. Jacobs wrote such a detailed, well-crafted, and nuanced review in Ehman’s spring 2024 section of the class that they submitted her revised paper for publication.
Specifically, Jacobs’ paper examines the complex interconnected systemic bias which exists surrounding specific diagnoses related to the health of individuals with uteri. Her research highlights that symptoms of "normative" premenstrual syndrome, and premenstrual dysphoric disorder (a DSM-V-TR diagnostic label) bear considerable similarities. Thus, making it extremely challenging for medical or mental health providers and patients to distinguish normative symptoms associated with the menstrual cycle from aberrant symptoms signaling greater distress. Moreover, Jacobs’ work highlights the ambiguity regarding the effectiveness of current treatment methods. This paper would be of interest to folks in psychology, as well as those with interest in women, gender, and sexuality studies, and social justice more broadly. Access to full-text is available through Interlibrary Loan Request.
Jacobs is taking a gap year and contemplating plans for graduate school. She will travel to Albania as a Peace Corps Volunteer in January 2026 to teach English as a second language through January 2028.
