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Survey study, 2023

How does PMS affect women's mental health and quality of life?

PMS is very common and significantly affects mental and physical health and quality of life in many women. Regular exercise and yoga can reduce how severe the symptoms are.

Early or limited evidence 130 women in India

What they did

Researchers asked 130 women in India to complete an online survey about their PMS symptoms, mental health, and exercise habits.

What they found

Most women reported at least 3 physical symptoms and 2 mood symptoms of PMS. About one-third said PMS interferes with their quality of life. About half reported mild to very severe symptoms. Women who did regular exercise or yoga reported less severe PMS symptoms.

What it means for you

PMS is common in almost all women but severity varies. It affects both physical and mental health. The practical takeaway is that exercise and yoga may reduce symptom severity. However, this was an online survey with a small sample, so results may not apply to all women.

130

women surveyed in India

34.7%

said PMS affects their quality of life

57%

reported stress from personal or work issues

About the study

Original title
Women Mental Health w.s.r. to Premenstrual Syndrome - An Online Survey
Authors
Suma Rajaput, Sandeep Subash Sagare, Anju Yadav et al.
Journal
Journal of Ayurveda and Integrated Medical Sciences
Year
2023
Study design
Survey study
Participants
160
What was tested
None
Open access
Yes
Original abstract

Introduction: Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) is a psycho neuroendocrine disorder of unknown aetiology. Prevalence of PMS is 47.8% in world-wide and in India it is 43%. It is mainly affecting mental health of the women, and quality of life of the women so this research was planned to explore the severity of the premenstrual syndrome and to evaluate the impact of PMS on Women mental health. Materials & Methods: Among 160 females, 130 females enrolled in the study based on criteria. The data was collected through Google form which was prepared based on PSST (premenstrual Symptom Screening Tool) Scale. Results: One hundred and twenty-two participants reported at least three somatic and two affective symptoms. 34.7% participants mentioned that PMS affects their quality of life. 30.3% participants reported mild, 24.6% female reported moderate, 10.7% reported severe and 7.4 % stated very severe. PMS significantly having relation with occupation, stress, and physical exercise. 57% participants reported that they are stressed due to any personal/ occupational issues. The participants who are doing regular exercise/ yoga are having less severity of symptoms compared to other participants. Discussion: This study reveals that PMS is common in almost all females but degree of severity differs. It affects both mental and physical health and also quality of life of the women. By this study additional thing we found that women who practice yoga, Pranayama, any physical exercise have less severity of premenstrual symptoms.

Reproduced under CC-BY.

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