Cohort study, 2019
Is there a link between menstrual symptoms and anxiety, depression, and stress in teenage girls?
Yes. There was a strong correlation between menstrual distress and depression, anxiety, and stress, with distress significantly higher before, during, and after menstruation (p=0.000).
What they did
Cross-sectional study of 600 school girls from Asyut city, Egypt. Data were collected from February to May 2019 using three tools: a questionnaire, the Menstrual Distress Questionnaire, and the Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale.
What they found
74.5% reported mood swings, 63.7% premenstrual pain, and 53.2% depression. There was a statistically significant difference in distress severity before, during, and after menstruation (p=0.000). There was a significant correlation between menstrual distress and depression, anxiety, and stress at p=0.000.
What it means for you
The study shows menstrual symptoms and mood problems go together, with mood being worst around the menstrual period itself. However, as a cross-sectional study, it cannot prove which causes which, only that they occur at the same time. Results are from one Egyptian city and may not apply elsewhere.
600
girls studied
p=0.000
significance of menstrual distress and mood link
74.5%
with mood swings
About the study
- Original title
- Relationship between menstruation signs and anxiety, depression, and stress among adolescent girls at Asyut city
- Authors
- Hamida AlmEldin Abdelhafez, Eman Sayed Masoed, Zamzam Ahmed Ahmed et al.
- Journal
- International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecological Nursing
- Year
- 2019
- Study design
- Cohort study
- Participants
- 600
- What was tested
- None
- Open access
- Yes
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.33545/26642298.2019.v1.i2a.21
Topics
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