Survey study, 2026
Is PMS worse in medical students with higher stress?
Yes. Medical students with high stress are much more likely to have moderate to severe PMS. About 26.5% of students had moderate to severe PMS overall.
What they did
A cross-sectional study of 102 female medical and dental students from December 2024 to May 2025. Students filled out questionnaires about PMS symptoms and perceived stress using validated tools.
What they found
26.5% (27 students) experienced moderate to severe PMS. 81.4% reported moderate perceived stress and 18.6% had high perceived stress. The most common moderate symptoms were anger/irritability (33.3%), fatigue and lack of energy (32.4%), and difficulty concentrating (32.4%). A clear association was found: 40.7% of students with moderate to severe PMS experienced high perceived stress, compared to 10.7% of those with mild or no PMS.
What it means for you
If you're a medical student with high stress, you're much more likely to have worse PMS. The link between stress and PMS severity is clear and strong. Medical schools need better mental health and reproductive health support for female students.
102
female medical and dental students
26.5%
with moderate to severe PMS
40.7%
with high stress among those with moderate-to-severe PMS
About the study
- Original title
- Association between Premenstrual Syndrome and Stress Levels among Medical Students of a Teaching Hospital: A Cross-Sectional Study
- Authors
- Vibina Aryal, Pujan Bhusal, Sabita Kandel et al.
- Journal
- Janaki Medical College Journal of Medical Science
- Year
- 2026
- Study design
- Survey study
- Participants
- 102
- What was tested
- None - observational study.
- Open access
- Yes
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.3126/jmcjms.v14i02.98090
Topics
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