--- title: Do past trauma and emotions predict PMS severity? | Niyora description: Yes. How women cope emotionally, particularly catastrophizing (assuming the worst), predicted about one-third of PMS severity. Past trauma involving life thre url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/evaluation-of-regulation-strategies-and-traumatic-experiences-as-factors-2020/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - Do past trauma and emotions predict PMS severity? Survey study, 2020 # Do past trauma and emotions predict PMS severity? Yes. How women cope emotionally, particularly catastrophizing (assuming the worst), predicted about one-third of PMS severity. Past trauma involving life threat also predicted about one-third of PMS severity. Early or limited evidence 207 adolescent girls in high schools in Shiraz ## What they did Researchers surveyed 207 adolescent girls in high schools in Shiraz using questionnaires measuring PMS symptoms, emotion regulation strategies, and past traumatic experiences. They analyzed which strategies and experiences predicted PMS severity. ## What they found Catastrophizing, or assuming the worst, predicted 37% of PMS severity. Experiencing past trauma involving threat to life, bizarre punishment, or intense pain predicted 34% of PMS severity. Using healthy emotion regulation strategies did not show a significant relationship with PMS severity. ## What it means for you How girls manage emotions and past traumatic experiences may influence PMS severity. Teaching better emotion regulation skills might help reduce PMS symptoms. The main limitations are the study included only adolescent girls in one city, not adult women, so results may not apply to all women. 207 adolescent girls surveyed 37% PMS severity predicted by catastrophizing 34% PMS severity predicted by trauma ## About the study Original title Evaluation of Regulation Strategies and Traumatic Experiences as Factors Predicting the Severity of Premenstrual Syndrome Authors Zahra Mohammadi, Mobarakeh Ansari, Mozhgan Falahatdoost et al. Journal DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) Year 2020 Study design Survey study Participants 207 What was tested None (observational survey) Read the paper [doi.org/10.22062/jkmu.2020.90619](https://doi.org/10.22062/jkmu.2020.90619) ## Topics [Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Mood swings and emotion regulation](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-emotional-regulation/)[Cognition, concentration and memory](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-cognition/)[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/)[Adolescents and young people](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-adolescents/) 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 Systematic review, 2025 Does teaching adolescent girls about their menstrual cycle and health help reduce period pain and PMS? Survey study, 2025 What psychological and personal factors predict which university students will develop premenstrual syndrome? Cohort study, 2023 Does recreational physical exercise reduce premenstrual symptoms in teenage girls? Survey study, 2026 Do difficult childhood experiences lead to worse PMS symptoms as an adult? Survey study, 2026 Does self-injury or difficult childhood experiences increase PMDD risk in adolescents? Non-randomised trial, 2024 Does cognitive-behavioral or mindfulness stress management help reduce PMS in high school girls? Ask AI about this page Copy prompt ChatGPT ↗ Claude ↗ Perplexity ↗ Google AI Mode ↗ Grok ↗