Survey study, 2026
Is self-compassion linked to PMS symptoms?
Yes, strongly. Women with higher self-compassion had fewer PMS symptoms. Self-compassion and marital status together explained about half of the differences in PMS severity.
What they did
353 women of reproductive age filled out online surveys about their PMS symptoms and self-compassion between December 2023 and December 2024.
What they found
The average PMS score was 133.49 and average self-compassion score was 2.91. About 55% of women had PMS. There was a strong negative link between PMS symptoms and self-compassion (r = -0.700, p < 0.001). Being married and higher self-compassion together explained 49.5% of the variation in PMS scores.
What it means for you
Women who are kind to themselves and accept their difficulties tend to have milder PMS symptoms. However, we can't tell if self-compassion helps with PMS or if severe PMS makes it harder to be self-compassionate. Also, women were recruited online, so the sample may not represent all women.
353
women studied
55%
had PMS
49.5%
of PMS variation explained by self-compassion and marital status
About the study
- Original title
- Self-compassion and premenstrual syndrome symptoms in women: a descriptive correlational study
- Authors
- Çelik B, Tektaş P
- Journal
- BMC women's health
- Year
- 2026
- Study design
- Survey study
- Participants
- 353
- What was tested
- None - observational study
- Open access
- Yes
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1186/s12905-026-04338-w
Topics
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