--- title: Do childhood adversity and psychological factors predict how severe PMS is? description: Yes. Childhood adversity, difficulty expressing emotions, and psychological distress all significantly predict worse PMS. url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/relationship-between-childhood-adversity-and-premenstrual-syndrome-mediating-2026/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - Do childhood adversity and psychological factors predict how severe PMS is? Survey study, 2026 # Do childhood adversity and psychological factors predict how severe PMS is? Yes. Childhood adversity, difficulty expressing emotions, and psychological distress all significantly predict worse PMS. Early or limited evidence 673 female medical students ## What they did 673 female medical students completed questionnaires measuring childhood trauma, PMS symptoms, difficulty expressing emotions, and psychological distress. Researchers analyzed the connections between these factors. ## What they found PMS severity was linked to psychological distress (B=0.64), childhood adversity (B=0.262), and difficulty expressing emotions (B=0.35). A moderate positive correlation existed between difficulty expressing emotions and PMS severity (r=0.409). ## What it means for you Psychological and emotional factors appear to influence PMS severity. This study only included medical students selected by convenience sampling, which may not represent all women, and there was no control group. 673 female medical students 0.64 effect of psychological distress on PMS severity 0.409 correlation between difficulty expressing emotions and PMS severity ## About the study Original title Relationship between childhood adversity and premenstrual syndrome: mediating role of alexithymia and psychological distress in medical students Authors Kahriz MA, Bahri N, Kianimoghadam AS et al. Journal BMC women's health Year 2026 Study design Survey study Participants 673 What was tested Observational study; no intervention tested. Open access Yes Read the paper [doi.org/10.1186/s12905-026-04392-4](https://doi.org/10.1186/s12905-026-04392-4) Original abstract Objective: This study was conducted to identify the psychological factors that predict the severity of Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS) among young women in 2025. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, researchers selected 673 female medical students through convenience sampling. They collected data using the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ), the Premenstrual Symptoms Screening Tool (PSST), the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20), the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K10), and a demographic questionnaire. They analyzed the data using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) in Amos and SPSS (Version 26). Results: The SEM model showed a good fit. PMS severity had significant positive relationships with psychological distress (B = 0.64, p < 0.001), childhood adversity (B = 0.262, p < 0.01), and alexithymia (B = 0.35, p < 0.001). A moderate positive correlation existed between alexithymia and PMS severity (r = 0.409, p = 0.01). Conclusion: Childhood adversity, alexithymia, and psychological distress significantly predict PMS severity. These findings highlight the importance of a biopsychosocial approach. We suggest that doctors, especially gynecologists, should consider these psychological factors when assessing and treating patients with PMS. Reproduced under CC-BY. ## Topics [Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[PTSD and trauma](https://niyora.com/research/topics/comorbidity-ptsd-trauma/)[Relationships and partners](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-relationships/)[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, 2025 What psychological and personal factors predict which university students will develop premenstrual syndrome? Survey study, 2026 Do difficult childhood experiences lead to worse PMS symptoms as an adult? Survey study, 2026 Does self-injury or difficult childhood experiences increase PMDD risk in adolescents? Survey study, 2024 Does childhood abuse increase premenstrual syndrome through suicidal thoughts? Survey study, 2023 Does childhood trauma increase the risk of PMDD? Survey study, 2021 Do adolescents with PMS have more childhood trauma and mental health problems? Ask AI about this page Copy prompt ChatGPT ↗ Claude ↗ Perplexity ↗ Google AI Mode ↗ Grok ↗