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Survey study, 2024

Are personality traits linked to PMS?

Yes, personality traits predicted PMS severity. Being more introverted, emotionally reactive, and inconsistent were linked to more PMS symptoms. About two-thirds of students had PMS.

Early or limited evidence 616 female university students in Brazil, studied February to June 2020

What they did

616 female university students in Brazil completed surveys about their PMS symptoms and personality traits between February and June 2020.

What they found

Mean PMS score was 125.40 plus or minus 25.41. Personality traits significantly predicted PMS: introversion versus extroversion, emotional reactivity versus emotional balance, and inconsistency versus consistency were all predictive factors. Two-thirds of the students had premenstrual syndrome.

What it means for you

Your personality type may influence how severe your PMS symptoms are. However, we cannot tell from this study if personality causes PMS or if having PMS affects your personality. The study was in a university in Brazil, so results may not apply to other women or populations. More research is needed.

125.40±25.41

mean PMS score

two-thirds

had PMS

About the study

Original title
The relationship between premenstrual syndrome and personality traits in university students
Authors
Yılmaz FA
Journal
Revista da Associacao Medica Brasileira (1992)
Year
2024
Study design
Survey study
Participants
616
What was tested
None, observational study
Open access
Yes
Original abstract

Objective: This study was conducted to determine the relationship between personality traits and premenstrual syndrome in university students. Method: This cross-sectional study was conducted with 616 female university students between February and June 2020. Results: The Premenstrual Syndrome Scale score was determined as a mean of 125.40±25.41. According to linear regression analysis, extrovert/introvert personality traits, emotional balance/neuroticism, and consistent/inconsistent personality traits were statistically significant predictive factors of premenstrual syndrome. Conclusion: The results of this study demonstrated that two-thirds of the students had premenstrual syndrome and personality traits affected premenstrual syndrome. It is recommended that attention should be paid to personality traits when coping with premenstrual syndrome.

Reproduced under CC-BY.

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