---
title: Can childhood neglect increase premenstrual mood symptoms in adults?
description: Yes. Childhood neglect was linked to worse premenstrual mood symptoms in adults. The connection worked indirectly through personality traits like irritability
url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/influence-of-childhood-maltreatment-adulthood-stressful-life-events-and-2020/
---

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- Can childhood neglect increase premenstrual mood symptoms in adults?

Survey study, 2020

# Can childhood neglect increase premenstrual mood symptoms in adults?

Yes. Childhood neglect was linked to worse premenstrual mood symptoms in adults. The connection worked indirectly through personality traits like irritability and anxiety.

 Early or limited evidence

204 non-clinical adult women from the community

## What they did

Researchers surveyed 204 adult women from the community about childhood maltreatment, life stress, their natural temperament traits, depression, and premenstrual mood symptoms.

## What they found

A history of childhood neglect indirectly predicted worse premenstrual mood symptoms. Three temperament traits directly predicted worse premenstrual mood symptoms: irritability, cyclothymic mood (alternating between high and low mood), and anxiety.

## What it means for you

Childhood experiences may shape personality traits that later make premenstrual mood symptoms worse. This was a snapshot study, so cause and effect cannot be proven. The women studied were not diagnosed with PMDD.

204

women

3

temperament traits linked to symptoms

## About the study

Original title Influence of Childhood Maltreatment, Adulthood Stressful Life Events, and Affective Temperaments on Premenstrual Mental Symptoms of Nonclinical Adult Volunteers Authors Wakatsuki Y, Inoue T, Hashimoto N et al. Journal Neuropsychiatric disease and treatment Year 2020 Study design Survey study Participants 204 Open access Yes Read the paper [doi.org/10.2147/ndt.s232925](https://doi.org/10.2147/ndt.s232925)

## Topics

[Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pmdd/)[Stress](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-stress/)[PTSD and trauma](https://niyora.com/research/topics/comorbidity-ptsd-trauma/)

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## Related studies

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