Case-control study, 2016
What psychological factors are linked to PMS severity?
Women with PMS had significantly higher stress, lower confidence in their abilities, greater body dissatisfaction, and more self-silencing than women without PMS. Body dissatisfaction and self-silencing were the strongest predictors of PMS severity.
What they did
A case-control study compared 90 German women with PMS to 48 without PMS. Researchers assessed psychological and social factors including stress, self-confidence, body image, and self-silencing during both the follicular and luteal phases of the menstrual cycle using daily ratings over one complete cycle.
What they found
Women with PMS showed significantly higher perceived chronic stress, lower self-efficacy, more body dissatisfaction, and more self-silencing. Body dissatisfaction and the divided-self dimension of self-silencing were significant predictors of PMS symptom severity. Psychosocial factors explained 20% of the variance in PMS symptom severity.
What it means for you
Psychological and social factors like stress, body image, and self-suppression are linked to more severe PMS and may be worth addressing in treatment. However, these factors explained only 20% of PMS severity, meaning biological factors are equally or more important. The study was limited to German women, so findings may not apply to all populations.
90
women with PMS
48
women without PMS
20%
variance in PMS severity explained
About the study
- Original title
- Psychosocial Profile of Women with Premenstrual Syndrome and Healthy Controls: A Comparative Study
- Authors
- Kleinstäuber M, Schmelzer K, Ditzen B et al.
- Journal
- International journal of behavioral medicine
- Year
- 2016
- Study design
- Case-control study
- Participants
- 90
- What was tested
- None - observational study
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1007/s12529-016-9564-9
Topics
Related studies
Cohort study, 2026
What genetic factors are linked to premenstrual symptoms?
Review, 2026
How well do SSRIs treat PMS?
Systematic review, 2026
How often do mood disorders and PMS or PMDD occur together?
Systematic review, 2026
Are hormone levels different in women with PMS?
Systematic review, 2026
Does vitamin D supplementation help PMS symptoms?
Study, 2026
How do women with PMDD process emotions differently in their brains?