Survey study, 2026
Do trauma and stress worsen PMS symptoms, and does how you think about events matter?
Yes. Trauma and stress are strongly linked to worse PMS. The connection may work partly through how women interpret events and how much anger they feel.
What they did
Surveyed 150 women aged 18-31 (average age 21.82) using questionnaires about PMS, trauma history, stress, how they interpret events, and anger.
What they found
PMS symptoms were strongly linked to trauma, stress, anger, and pessimistic thinking. Correlations ranged from 0.57 to 0.85 (higher means stronger links). Both anger and pessimistic thinking partly explained why trauma and stress were associated with worse PMS.
What it means for you
Trauma and stress worsen PMS, possibly through how you interpret events and how angry you feel. However, the study is a snapshot so we cannot prove trauma or stress causes PMS. The sample was small and young. Future studies should follow women over time.
150
women in the study
0.85
correlation between stress and PMS (strength of link)
0.57
correlation between pessimistic thinking and trauma
About the study
- Original title
- The relationship between trauma, stress, and premenstrual symptoms: the role of attributional style and trait anger
- Authors
- Antosz-Rekucka R, Prochwicz K
- Journal
- Journal of reproductive and infant psychology
- Year
- 2026
- Study design
- Survey study
- Participants
- 150
- What was tested
- Trauma and perceived stress
- Open access
- Yes
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1080/02646838.2024.2377099
Topics
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