--- title: Is severe period pain linked to psychological distress in working women? description: Severe period pain was associated with higher psychological distress, but this link disappeared after accounting for PMS and job conditions. Job control was a url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/the-association-between-the-severity-of-dysmenorrhea-and-psychological-distress-2023/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - Is severe period pain linked to psychological distress in working women? Survey study, 2023 # Is severe period pain linked to psychological distress in working women? Severe period pain was associated with higher psychological distress, but this link disappeared after accounting for PMS and job conditions. Job control was associated with lower psychological distress. Early or limited evidence 312 women in central Tokyo who attended health check-ups ## What they did Cross-sectional survey of 312 women in Tokyo who attended health check-ups. They measured severity of period pain, psychological distress (using K6 scores), PMS, job stressors, and job control. ## What they found 18.3% of the 289 working women surveyed had moderate or severe period pain. In initial analysis, severe period pain was linked to higher psychological distress. However, after adjusting for PMS and workplace factors (particularly job control), this link was no longer significant. ## What it means for you While severe period pain appears connected to psychological distress, the connection may actually be explained by PMS symptoms and work conditions. Job control was associated with lower psychological distress. The study cannot prove cause-and-effect. 312 women studied 18.3% with moderate/severe period pain 289 working women in analysis ## About the study Original title The Association between the Severity of Dysmenorrhea and Psychological Distress of Women Working in Central Tokyo-A Preliminary Study Authors Matsumura K, Tsuno K, Okamoto M et al. Journal International journal of environmental research and public health Year 2023 Study design Survey study Participants 312 What was tested None Open access Yes Read the paper [doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20217021](https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20217021) Original abstract This study aims to clarify the association between the severity of dysmenorrhea and psychological distress among working women in central Tokyo and examine the effect modification of job stressors. The participants in this cross-sectional study were 312 women who had undergone health check-ups in the "Marunouchi Hokenshitsu" project. The severity of dysmenorrhea was defined as the degree of daily life disturbance with menstrual pain, and the outcome variable was the K6 scores. To assess the association of psychological distress with the severity of dysmenorrhea, multiple regression analyses were performed. The results revealed that 18.3% of the 289 working women were in the moderate/severe group of dysmenorrhea. In multiple regression analysis, moderate/severe dysmenorrhea was significantly associated with higher levels of psychological distress, but the significance disappeared after adjusting for gynecology such as premenstrual syndrome (PMS) and workplace-related factors. The degree of job control was significantly associated with lower levels of psychological distress and may modify psychological distress caused by dysmenorrhea. Moderate/severe dysmenorrhea may be associated with higher levels of psychological distress in working women, and psychological symptoms of PMS) and the degree of job control were possible effect factors, and there may be effect modification by the degree of job control. Reproduced under CC-BY. ## Topics [Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Dysmenorrhea and period pain](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-dysmenorrhea/)[Work and productivity](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-work/) 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 Systematic review, 2025 Does digital healthcare help manage period pain and PMS? Systematic review, 2025 How common are PMS, PMDD, and painful periods in nursing students, and do they affect their schooling? Systematic review, 2025 Does alcohol use affect menstrual health in teenage girls? Systematic review, 2024 Does yoga help reduce PMS symptoms? Case-control study, 2014 How common is severe period pain and what causes it? Systematic review, 2010 Does acupuncture treat premenstrual syndrome? Ask AI about this page Copy prompt ChatGPT ↗ Claude ↗ Perplexity ↗ Google AI Mode ↗ Grok ↗