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Case-control study, 2018

Are women with PMS more stressed and do they have different personality types?

Yes. Women with PMS were significantly more likely to have melancholic and choleric temperament types and had higher stress and neuroticism scores than women without PMS.

Moderate study design 200 women with PMS and 50 women without PMS.

What they did

Case-control study comparing 200 women with PMS to 50 women without PMS using personality tests and stress assessment scales.

What they found

Women with PMS were 3.20 times less likely to be sanguine (calm, optimistic) types. Their neuroticism scores were 17.03% higher than the control group. Melancholic and choleric temperaments were more common in the PMS group. Stress levels were significantly higher in PMS patients, with the highest stress in women with severe PMS.

What it means for you

Women with PMS tend to have personality traits related to worry and irritability and experience higher stress. This study was in one population, so results may vary elsewhere. It's unclear whether stress causes PMS or PMS causes stress.

200

Women with PMS studied

3.20

Times less likely to be calm types

17.03%

Higher neuroticism in PMS group

About the study

Original title
Psychological and stress backgrounds of forming of premenstrual syndrome
Authors
Lyudmyla V. Pakharenko
Journal
HEALTH OF WOMAN
Year
2018
Study design
Case-control study
Participants
200
What was tested
None - observational comparison.
Open access
Yes

Topics