--- title: Do women with IBS and period problems have worse psychological symptoms? description: Yes. Women with IBS alongside period pain and PMS show more depression, sleep problems, and worse quality of life than those without IBS. url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/neuropsychological-function-is-related-to-irritable-bowel-syndrome-in-women-with-2020/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - Do women with IBS and period problems have worse psychological symptoms? Survey study, 2020 # Do women with IBS and period problems have worse psychological symptoms? Yes. Women with IBS alongside period pain and PMS show more depression, sleep problems, and worse quality of life than those without IBS. Early or limited evidence 182 female university students aged 18-25 years ## What they did Cross-sectional study of 182 female university students aged 18-25 years. Researchers assessed IBS using Rome III criteria, period pain and PMS severity using visual analog scale and PSST questionnaire, and psychological health including depression, anxiety, stress, insomnia, daytime sleepiness, and quality of life using standard questionnaires. ## What they found 31 out of 182 (17.0%) had IBS. The IBS group had more bleeding days and higher pain severity. Women with IBS scored worse on depression, insomnia, and daytime sleepiness. PMS severity correlated with depression (r = 0.29), anxiety (r = 0.28), stress (r = 0.32), insomnia (r = 0.34), daytime sleepiness (r = 0.31), and negatively with quality of life (r = -0.42) and cognitive abilities (r = -0.20). ## What it means for you Women with both IBS and period problems may experience more mood and sleep issues. The study only included university-age students, so results may not apply to older women or different populations. 17.0% Proportion with IBS -0.42 Quality of life correlation with PMS severity 0.34 Insomnia correlation with PMS severity ## About the study Original title Neuropsychological function is related to irritable bowel syndrome in women with premenstrual syndrome and dysmenorrhea Authors Ayadilord M, Mahmoudzadeh S, Hoseini ZS et al. Journal Archives of gynecology and obstetrics Year 2020 Study design Survey study Participants 182 What was tested None; observational study of IBS and PMS Open access Yes Read the paper [doi.org/10.1007/s00404-020-05659-3](https://doi.org/10.1007/s00404-020-05659-3) Original abstract Background: There is increasing evidence demonstrating the co-occurrence of primary dysmenorrhea (PD), premenstrual syndrome (PMS), and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) in women. This study aimed to investigate whether women who have symptoms of IBS in addition to PD and PMS also report more severe or frequent menstruation-associated symptoms and psychological complications compared to women with PD and PMS alone. Methods: The study group included 182 female University students aged 18-25 years. IBS was diagnosed using the Rome III criteria. The severity of PMS and PD was determined using a 10-point visual analog scale and PSST (Premenstrual Syndrome Screening Tool), respectively. Neuropsychological functions including cognitive function, depression score, anxiety score, stress, insomnia, daytime sleepiness, quality of life and personality were assessed using standard questionnaires. Results: Of the 182 young females, 31 (17.0%) had IBS. Average days of bleeding during the menstrual cycle and mean pain severity on the PSST scale were significantly greater in the group with IBS compared to the non-IBS group (p < 0.01). The non-IBS individuals scored more favorably than the women with IBS with respect to severity of depression, insomnia, daytime sleepiness (p < 0.05). The PSST scores were significantly correlated with scores for depression (r = 0.29; p < 0.001), anxiety (r = 0.28; p < 0.001), stress (r = 0.32; p < 0.001), insomnia (r = 0.34; p < 0.001) and daytime sleepiness (r = 0.31; p < 0.001); while, they were negatively correlated with cognitive abilities (r = - 0.20; p = 0.006) and quality of life (r = - 0.42; p < 0.001). Linear regression analysis showed that the PSST scores were possibly significant factors in determining the scores for depression, anxiety, stress, quality of life, insomnia and daytime sleepiness (p < 0.05). Conclusion: IBS is related to psychological comorbidities, in particular depression, sleep problems and menstrual-associated disorders. IBS may exacerbate the features of PMS which should be taken into account in the management of PMS. Reproduced under CC-BY. ## Topics [Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Dysmenorrhea and period pain](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-dysmenorrhea/)[Low mood and depression](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-depression-mood/)[Anxiety and tension](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-anxiety/)[Irritability and anger](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-irritability-anger/)[Sleep and insomnia](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-sleep/)[Cognition, concentration and memory](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-cognition/)[Stress](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-stress/)[IBS and gut symptoms](https://niyora.com/research/topics/comorbidity-ibs-gi/)[Quality of life and daily functioning](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-quality-of-life/)[Students and academic performance](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-education/) 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 Survey study, 2026 Does exercise help college women with period problems and mental health? Survey study, 2025 Do menstrual problems and poor sleep affect mood and thinking in teenage girls? Case-control study, 2009 How common is irritable bowel syndrome in Korean teenage girls and what causes it? Survey study, 2026 How common is premenstrual tension and does it affect university students' studies? Survey study, 2023 How common are PMS and PMDD among college girls, and what are their symptoms? Randomised trial, 2023 Does a smartphone app for heart rate variability biofeedback reduce premenstrual and depressive symptoms? Ask AI about this page Copy prompt ChatGPT ↗ Claude ↗ Perplexity ↗ Google AI Mode ↗ Grok ↗