Study, 2014
What personality traits are linked to PMS?
Women with PMS tend to worry more about controlling their emotions. They often think of themselves as two different people, their real self and their PMS self. Those who suppress their true feelings or are perfectionists are especially likely to have this worry about control.
What they did
Recruited 182 North American women ages 18-46 online. Asked them to complete questionnaires about self-silencing (not speaking up about their true thoughts), perfectionism, concern about emotional control, and whether they use dualistic thinking (imagining their PMS as a separate identity). Compared responses between 90 women with PMS and 78 without.
What they found
Women with PMS scored higher on concern about emotional control and used more dualistic thinking (imagining themselves as their PMS self versus their real self). Women who scored high on self-silencing and perfectionism were more likely to have concern about emotional control.
What it means for you
Some women with PMS may experience their symptoms as part of a separate identity rather than as part of themselves, especially if they tend to suppress their feelings or have perfectionist traits. The study was online and may not include all types of women, so we cannot be sure these findings apply to everyone.
182
North American women studied
90
Women reporting PMS
78
Women without PMS
About the study
- Original title
- Self-Silencing, Perfectionism, Dualistic Discourse, Loss of Control, and the Experience of Premenstrual Syndrome
- Authors
- Joan C. Chrisler, Jennifer A. Gorman, Laura Streckfuss
- Journal
- Women s Reproductive Health
- Year
- 2014
- Study design
- Study
- Participants
- 90
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1080/23293691.2014.966597
Topics
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