--- title: Does a history of childhood trauma make premenstrual symptoms worse? description: Yes, women who reported more childhood trauma also reported more severe premenstrual symptoms, and this link seemed to be fully explained by difficulties mana url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/childhood-trauma-and-premenstrual-symptoms-the-role-of-emotion-regulation-2020/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - Does a history of childhood trauma make premenstrual symptoms worse? Survey study, 2020 # Does a history of childhood trauma make premenstrual symptoms worse? Yes, women who reported more childhood trauma also reported more severe premenstrual symptoms, and this link seemed to be fully explained by difficulties managing emotions. Early or limited evidence 112 female university students in Jerusalem ## What they did 112 female students at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem filled out questionnaires about premenstrual symptoms (PSST), childhood trauma (CTQ), and emotion regulation difficulties (DERS). The researchers tested whether emotion regulation explained or changed the link between trauma and premenstrual symptoms. ## What they found 22 women (18.6%) met criteria for PMS and 16 (13.6%) for PMDD. More childhood trauma was linked to more premenstrual symptoms (r = .282), and this link was fully explained by emotion regulation difficulties. Sexual abuse (r = .243) and emotional neglect (r = .198) were linked to premenstrual symptoms specifically. Abuse, but not neglect, predicted greater difficulty regulating emotions (r = .33). ## What it means for you The authors suggest that helping women with a trauma history build better emotion regulation skills could help them cope with premenstrual changes. This is a one-time survey of young university students in one city, relying on self-report, so it cannot prove trauma causes premenstrual symptoms. 13.6% Met PMDD criteria 18.6% Met PMS criteria r = .282 Trauma-symptom link ## About the study Original title Childhood Trauma and Premenstrual Symptoms: The Role of Emotion Regulation Authors Azoulay M, Reuveni I, Dan R et al. Journal Child abuse & neglect Year 2020 Study design Survey study Participants 112 What was tested None tested; this looked at links between childhood trauma, emotion regulation, and premenstrual symptoms Read the paper [doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2020.104637](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2020.104637) ## Topics [Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pmdd/)[Low mood and depression](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-depression-mood/)[Mood swings and emotion regulation](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-emotional-regulation/)[PTSD and trauma](https://niyora.com/research/topics/comorbidity-ptsd-trauma/)[Relationships and partners](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-relationships/)[Students and academic performance](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-education/) Research tells you what helps on average. Niyora helps on the day it hits. Calm down, see it another way, and decide what to say, with a PMS and PMDD app built by a doctor. ## Related studies Survey study, 2026 Does self-injury or difficult childhood experiences increase PMDD risk in adolescents? Survey study, 2023 Does childhood trauma increase the risk of PMDD? Survey study, 2021 Are childhood trauma and stress linked to PMDD? Study, 2026 What are premenstrual syndrome and premenstrual dysphoric disorder? Survey study, 2025 Do adverse childhood experiences increase PMS and menstrual symptoms in adulthood? Cohort study, 2025 Do pain sensitivity and negative thinking explain how trauma and stress cause PMS or PMDD? Ask AI about this page Copy prompt ChatGPT ↗ Claude ↗ Perplexity ↗ Google AI Mode ↗ Grok ↗