---
title: Does cognitive behavioral therapy help premenstrual symptoms as well as medication?
description: Possibly. Growing evidence suggests cognitive behavioral therapy may work as well as medication for premenstrual symptoms and is a good option for women who p
url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/cognitive-behavioural-interventions-for-premenstrual-and-menopausal-symptoms-2003/
---

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- Does cognitive behavioral therapy help premenstrual symptoms as well as medication?

Study, 2003

# Does cognitive behavioral therapy help premenstrual symptoms as well as medication?

Possibly. Growing evidence suggests cognitive behavioral therapy may work as well as medication for premenstrual symptoms and is a good option for women who prefer not to take medicine.

 Moderate study design

Review of cognitive behavioral therapy approaches (not a specific trial).

## What they did

Reviewed cognitive behavioral therapy approaches for premenstrual symptoms, including case examples of how it works.

## What they found

Premenstrual symptoms are common and troublesome for some women, interfering with daily life. Many women prefer non-medication approaches. CBT is a collaborative, client-centered approach that is relatively brief. It involves examining how you think about and interpret your premenstrual symptoms, your underlying beliefs, and your behavioral responses, taking into account your social context and life stage. Growing evidence shows CBT is effective as a viable alternative to medication.

## What it means for you

CBT may be worth trying if you prefer not to take medication for premenstrual symptoms. You would work with a trained therapist to examine your thoughts about symptoms and change how you respond. The main limitation is that more research is needed to understand which parts of CBT work best.

## About the study

Original title Cognitive behavioural interventions for premenstrual and menopausal symptoms Authors Myra Sally Hunter Journal Journal of Reproductive and Infant Psychology Year 2003 Study design Study What was tested cognitive behavioral therapy Read the paper [doi.org/10.1080/0264683031000155006](https://doi.org/10.1080/0264683031000155006)

## Topics

[Menstrual cycle and mood](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-cycle-mood/)[Cognition, concentration and memory](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-cognition/)[SSRIs and antidepressants](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-ssri/)[Estradiol, progesterone and hormone therapy](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-hormone-therapy/)[Cognitive behavioral therapy](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-cbt/)[Perimenopause and menopause](https://niyora.com/research/topics/comorbidity-perimenopause/)

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