Interview study, 2019
How does PMS affect women's daily lives and relationships?
PMS significantly impacts quality of life and affects women's roles as mothers and wives. Psychological symptoms have a particularly strong effect. Women need acknowledgement and support from family, friends, and healthcare providers.
What they did
20 women aged 27 to 49 with PMS participated in semi-structured interviews about their experiences. They were recruited through local newspapers and social media.
What they found
Women described PMS as distressing to their ability to fulfill preferred roles of being a good mother and wife. They experienced PMS as a life-controlling condition. Physical and particularly psychological symptoms had a strong influence on quality of life. Women used both active and passive strategies to cope with PMS and had different expectations of healthcare support.
What it means for you
PMS affects women at the level of social relationships and identity, not just physical symptoms. Women need support and acknowledgement beyond medical treatment. This study had a small sample recruited through media, so the findings may not apply to all women with PMS.
20
women interviewed
27-49
age range
About the study
- Original title
- A women’s perspective on premenstrual syndrome: a qualitative interview study
- Authors
- Labots-Vogelesang M, Andringa RK, Teunissen DAM et al.
- Journal
- Research Square
- Year
- 2019
- Study design
- Interview study
- What was tested
- None
- Open access
- Yes
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.21203/rs.2.10868/v1
Original abstract
Abstract BMWH-D-18-00422 A women’s perspective on premenstrual syndrome: a qualitative interview study Abstract Background: Women who present with Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS) to healthcare professionals experience a lot of problems on their psychosocial functioning. Little is known however about the influence of PMS on the daily life of women in the general population. The aim of the present study is to improve our understanding of the perspective of women with PMS in the general population. Methods: We recruited women with PMS via local newspapers and social media. We performed semi-structured interviews. Results: We interviewed twenty women between 27 and 49 years of age. Physical and in particular psychological symptoms of PMS have a strong influence on the quality of life of women. Three themes emerged from our analysis. Women mentioned disturbance in their preferred roles of being a good mother and wife; experienced PMS as a life controlling condition and they used active and passive coping strategies with different expectations of healthcare. Conclusion: The symptoms of PMS affect women at the level of their social role of femininity. These women are in need of acknowledgement and support as well from family and friends as from healthcare providers. Word count: 3772 (abstract 211) Keywords: Premenstrual Syndrome, Women’s Health, Social Role, Femininity, Interview, Coping, Acknowledgement
Reproduced under CC-BY.
Topics
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