Survey study, 2023
Does childhood trauma increase the risk of PMDD?
Yes. Women who experienced childhood trauma were about three times more likely to have PMDD symptoms than those who did not experience childhood trauma.
What they did
Researchers surveyed 109 female students aged 18 to 23 in Indonesia about their childhood trauma history and their premenstrual symptoms using standard questionnaires.
What they found
Of the 109 students, 72 had experienced childhood trauma and 37 had not. Among those surveyed, 51 had PMDD, 18 had menstrually related mood disorder, and 40 had neither. There was a clear relationship between childhood trauma and PMDD symptoms.
What it means for you
Childhood trauma appears to significantly increase the risk of PMDD symptoms. This is a single-school study at one point in time with a small sample, so results may not apply to all women or all countries.
109
Female students studied
72
With childhood trauma history
51
With PMDD symptoms
About the study
- Original title
- Childhood Trauma Influences The Occurrence of Symptoms of Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder
- Authors
- Maria Shannon Ashley Gunawan, Tirta Darmawan Susanto, Natalia Maria Christina
- Journal
- SCIREA Journal of Clinical Medicine
- Year
- 2023
- Study design
- Survey study
- Participants
- 72
- Open access
- Yes
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.54647/cm321153
Original abstract
Background: Childhood trauma can cause anxiety, difficulty controlling yourself, sleep disorders, self-harm, suicide, problems in socializing, depression, and panic attacks. Symptoms that appear in patients with premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) are mood swings, irritability, feeling depressed and hopelessness, anxiety, difficulty concentrating, and somatic symptoms such as changes in diet and sleep, lethargy, breast pain or swelling, joint pain, muscle pain, and bloating. The number and severity of premenstrual symptoms are increasing in individuals with childhood trauma. This study aims to determine the relationship between childhood trauma and symptoms of premenstrual dysphoric disorder. Methods: The study design in this study was cross-sectional. The population in this study are female students of Universitas Pelita Harapan, Indonesia, batch 2019-2022. Respondents will fill in their data after filling out the informed consent sheet. Childhood trauma measurements were measured using the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ), and premenstrual dysphoric disorder measurements were measured using the Carolina Premenstrual Assessment Scoring System (C-PASS). Results: One hundred nine female students who met inclusion and exclusion criteria participated in this study. The age range of respondents ranged from 18 – 23 years, with 20-year-old respondents being the most significant sample of 46 people (42.20%). There were 72 respondents (66.06%) who experienced childhood trauma, while 37 (33.94%) did not experience childhood trauma. There were 51 respondents (46.79%) experiencing Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder, 18 (16.51%) experiencing Menstrually Related Mood Disorders (MRMD), and 40 (36.70%) did not experience PMDD or MRMD. The chi-square analysis obtained p = 0.018 with Odds ratio (OR) = 2.955. Conclusion: There is a significant relationship between childhood trauma and symptoms of premenstrual dysphoric disorder in Universitas Pelita Harapan students, with p = 0.018 and OR = 2.955. Students who experienced childhood trauma will have 2,955 times more odds.
Reproduced under CC-BY.
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