‘A Psychological Warzone’: The Neurodivergent Experience of the Premenstrual Phase 

Authors: Chiara Horlin, Abigail Paterson, Ellie Devlin, Iona Mackinlay-Vich, Miso White

School of Psychology and Neuroscience

Neurodivergent people who menstruate often report that their experiences fluctuate across the menstrual cycle, yet these perspectives remain largely absent from research and healthcare frameworks. Following publication of their preprint the Equality & Diversity Unit in partnership with the authors above in the School of Psychology and Neuroscience are delighted to run this open seminar / Q&A on the project.

The study explored how autistic and/or ADHD traits are perceived to change during the premenstrual phase and across the cycle more broadly. An anonymous online survey was completed by 1,770 participants aged 16–55 years (M = 29.49), who identified as autistic (n = 328), ADHD (n = 653), or both (n = 785). 

Alongside validated measures of autistic traits, ADHD traits, and premenstrual symptoms, participants provided open-text accounts of their menstrual experiences. Open-text data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. Most participants described significant intensification of neurodivergent traits during the luteal phase, five themes captured participants’ experiences: the exhausting labour of managing cyclical changes, anticipatory anxiety across the lifespan, profound emotional vulnerability, identity fragmentation, and systemic dismissal within healthcare. These findings highlight menstruation as a destabilising biopsychosocial process for many neurodivergent people, with implications for identity, wellbeing, and care.

Recognition of these experiences is critical for developing autism- and ADHD-informed approaches to hormonal health.

OSF Full Project: https://osf.io/g6c7w/

OSF Manuscript Draft: https://osf.io/mwn4j/files/osfstorage/68b1d47fad22e213ba05e426

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Dr Chiara Horlan is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Psychology and Neuroscience at the University of Glasgow. Her research interests predominantly involve understanding the lived experience of neurodivergent people, with a particular focus on students in higher education. In 2020 she co-founded the University's Neurodiversity Network to provide awareness, representation, and promote inclusion of neurodiversity in higher education. The group particularly wishes to provide opportunities to co-collaborate with neurodivergent staff and students (current and prospective), as well as connecting with community stakeholders, and both the global neurodiversity movement and higher education community.