Association between mental illness and cycle phases and physical, social, and task attraction in female university students

Abstract

Purpose: To examine the association between menstrual cycle phases and other factors (depression, anxiety, and stress) with social, physical, and task attraction. Methods: This cross‐sectional study enrolled 662 female university students (December 2019–January 2020). Results: Higher stress was associated with higher social and task attraction. Higher stress and depression were associated with higher physical attraction, whereas higher anxiety was associated with lower physical attraction. None of the cycle's phases was associated with attraction. Practical Implications: This study results showed a lot of contradictory information to what is present in the literature, in addition to new associations that are not tackled enough in the literature. Therefore, there is a crucial need for new firm studies that explore the relationship between women's hormonal levels and attraction levels.