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WellbeingResearch-grade· DSM-5-TR Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder criteria domains (Epperson et al. 2012)

Original 25 items — no dominant copyrighted PMDD instrument exists to adapt from. A PMDD diagnosis requires confirming the pattern across at least two cycles with a prospective daily tool like the DRSP (Endicott, Nee & Harrison, 2006); this is a single-administration self-reflection screener, not that diagnostic process.

Cycle Mood Check-In, Free 25-Question Self-Reflection

Mood swings, irritability, or hopelessness the week before your period, gone once it starts? A 25-question self-reflection on cyclical, luteal-phase mood patterns. A self-reflection tool, not a clinical diagnosis.

25 questions5 min
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The basics

What is the Cycle Mood Check-In?

This check-in looks at cyclical mood patterns through five domains tied specifically to the week or so before your period: mood lability (quick emotional shifts, sudden tearfulness), irritability and anger (a shorter fuse, more conflict), depressed mood and hopelessness (low mood, self-criticism, feeling overwhelmed), anxiety and tension (feeling on edge, "wound up"), and physical symptoms (breast tenderness, bloating, joint or muscle aches, appetite and sleep changes). Every question is anchored to timing, the days before your period, because timing is what separates this pattern from mood symptoms that show up steadily, unrelated to your cycle.

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That timing is also the defining feature of Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD), and it's what makes PMDD different from two things it often gets confused with. First, ordinary premenstrual symptoms: most menstruating people notice some mood or physical shift before their period, and that alone doesn't mean anything is wrong. What stands out with PMDD is the combination of intensity, consistency cycle after cycle, and a clear pattern of easing once the period starts. Second, this is not the same thing as postpartum depression: postpartum depression centers on a specific window after childbirth, while PMDD is a monthly, cyclical pattern tied to the luteal phase that can affect anyone who menstruates, year-round, whether or not they've ever been pregnant. A general depression or anxiety screener, by contrast, looks at mood without regard to timing, PMDD is defined specifically by its relationship to the menstrual cycle.

This check-in is a self-reflection tool, not a diagnostic instrument, and it does not replace an evaluation by a licensed clinician. PMDD is formally recognized in the DSM-5-TR, and it is typically confirmed through prospective daily symptom tracking across at least two menstrual cycles, not a single questionnaire. If your results suggest a strong cyclical pattern, a doctor or gynecologist is the right next step: they can review a cycle-tracking log, rule out other causes, and discuss treatment options, including SSRIs (which can be used cyclically for PMDD specifically) and hormonal approaches, both of which have solid evidence behind them.

Closely related
  • Mood Check-In
  • Worry Check-In
  • Mood Swing Check-In
  • Self-Compassion Test
  • OCD Symptom Check-In
What you get

What You'll Discover

See how much your mood swings, sudden sadness, tearfulness, emotional intensity, in the week or so before your period.
Get a read on irritability and anger, whether a shorter fuse or more conflict with people close to you shows up before your period.
Understand your depressed mood and hopelessness pattern, and whether it lifts once your period starts.
See how much anxiety and tension, feeling on edge or "wound up", builds in the days before your period.
Get a read on physical symptoms, breast tenderness, bloating, joint or muscle aches, appetite and sleep changes, tied to your cycle.
Walk away with a plain-language summary across all five domains, useful as a starting point for cycle tracking or a conversation with a doctor.

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📚Scientific validation

PMDD Symptom Screening (DSM-5-TR Criteria Domains) is grounded in published psychometric research:

PMDD Symptom Screening (DSM-5-TR Criteria Domains)

This is a JobCannon-original, 25-question self-reflection screener built on the DSM-5-TR's published Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder criteria domains — it does not administer the Daily Record of Severity of Problems (DRSP) or any other named clinical instrument verbatim, and a real PMDD diagnosis requires confirming the pattern across at least two menstrual cycles with prospective daily tracking, not a single self-report screener. JobCannon has not run an independent reliability or validity study of its own online administration.

Epperson, C.N., Steiner, M., Hartlage, S.A., Eriksson, E., Schmidt, P.J., Jones, I., & Yonkers, K.A. (2012). Reviewed the accumulated clinical and biological evidence that led the DSM-5 work group to move Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder from a research appendix into the manual as a formal diagnostic category, defined by mood lability, irritability, depressed mood, and anxiety concentrated in the luteal phase. American Journal of Psychiatry, 169(5), 465-475 source

Halbreich, U., Borenstein, J., Pearlstein, T., & Kahn, L.S. (2003). Estimated that 3-8% of people of reproductive age meet strict PMDD criteria, with a further 13-18% experiencing clinically significant premenstrual symptoms and impairment that fall short of the full diagnostic threshold. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 28(Suppl 3), 1-23 source

Schmidt, P.J., Nieman, L.K., Danaceau, M.A., Adams, L.F., & Rubinow, D.R. (1998). Found that women with PMS/PMDD had symptom relief during ovarian-hormone suppression, and symptoms returned specifically when estrogen and progesterone were reintroduced — while women without PMS/PMDD showed no such reaction to the same hormone changes. The finding underlies the modern view of PMDD as an unusual sensitivity to normal hormone fluctuation, not abnormal hormone levels. New England Journal of Medicine, 338(4), 209-216 source

Endicott, J., Nee, J., & Harrison, W. (2006). Established the reliability and validity of the Daily Record of Severity of Problems (DRSP), the prospective daily-rating tool clinicians use to confirm a PMDD diagnosis across two or more menstrual cycles — the reason a single-administration screener like this one is a starting point, not a diagnostic substitute. Archives of Women's Mental Health, 9(1), 41-49 source

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

6 questions

  • No. This is a free, self-reflection tool, not a clinical diagnosis. PMDD can only be confirmed by a clinician, typically using prospective daily symptom tracking across at least two menstrual cycles, not a single questionnaire. What this check-in can do is give you a plain-language snapshot across five symptom domains, a useful starting point if you're wondering whether your premenstrual pattern is worth looking at more closely with a doctor.

  • Most menstruating people experience some premenstrual symptoms, and that alone is normal and not PMDD. PMDD describes a more severe, more consistent pattern: mood and physical symptoms that are intense enough to noticeably affect relationships, work, or daily functioning, that show up reliably cycle after cycle, and that ease again once the period starts. The size and consistency of the pattern, not just its presence, is what separates PMS from PMDD.

  • Postpartum depression centers on a specific window in the weeks and months after childbirth. PMDD is unrelated to pregnancy, it's a monthly, cyclical pattern tied to the luteal phase that can affect anyone who menstruates, year-round. General depression or anxiety, by contrast, isn't tied to cycle timing at all. The defining feature of PMDD is that the symptoms rise and fall with your cycle, appearing in the week or so before your period and easing once it starts.

  • Start by tracking your symptoms daily alongside your cycle for at least two months. That log is the key piece of information a doctor or gynecologist needs to confirm PMDD and rule out other causes. Effective, evidence-based treatments exist, including SSRIs (which can be taken cyclically, just in the luteal phase, for PMDD specifically) and hormonal approaches. Bringing your tracking log and this check-in's summary to that first conversation can help focus it.

  • The Mood Check-In and Worry Check-In look at depression and anxiety symptoms generally, without regard to timing. This check-in is specifically about the cyclical pattern, mood, irritability, anxiety, and physical symptoms concentrated in the week or so before your period and easing once it starts. If your symptoms don't follow that monthly rhythm, a general screener is likely more relevant than this one.

  • No. PMDD is a recognized condition in the DSM-5-TR, driven by an unusual sensitivity to normal hormonal changes, not a character flaw or a matter of willpower. It's estimated to affect a meaningful share of menstruating people at some point. Noticing a strong cyclical pattern is useful information, and structured, evidence-based treatment can meaningfully reduce how disruptive it feels.

Take the Cycle Mood Check-In Now

Discover your Cycle Mood Check-In profile. 25 questions, 5 min.

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Explore all results in depth

Already taken the test, or just curious? Read the in-depth guide for any result — strengths, challenges, career matches, famous people, and FAQs.

Minimal, Little to No Cyclical Mood Pattern
Your mood and body don’t track your cycle in a disruptive way
Mild, A Noticeable but Manageable Cyclical Pattern
The week before your period is harder, but it doesn’t take over
Moderate, A Real Monthly Disruption Worth Tracking
The week or two before your period is taking a real toll
Severe, A Pattern Strongly Consistent With PMDD
The days before your period are significantly disrupting your life

© 2026 JobCannon. All assessments are based on validated psychological frameworks.

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