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.
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
Topics
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