Survey study, 2014
Do premenstrual symptoms make PTSD symptoms worse?
Yes. Women with worse premenstrual symptoms had noticeably worse PTSD symptoms, especially if they were sensitive to anxiety.
What they did
Asked 63 women who had experienced trauma about their premenstrual symptoms, how sensitive they were to anxiety, and their PTSD symptoms.
What they found
Women with worse premenstrual symptoms had worse overall PTSD symptoms, including worse reexperiencing, avoidance, and hyperarousal. This connection was strongest in women with high anxiety sensitivity.
What it means for you
PMS symptoms may worsen PTSD symptoms, particularly in women sensitive to anxiety. The study was a single assessment so cause and effect cannot be proven. Women with high anxiety sensitivity appear most at risk.
63
trauma-exposed women
About the study
- Original title
- Anxiety Sensitivity as a Moderator of the Association Between Premenstrual Symptoms and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptom Severity
- Authors
- Nillni YI, Berenz EC, Pineles SL et al.
- Journal
- Psychological trauma : theory, research, practice and policy
- Year
- 2014
- Study design
- Survey study
- Participants
- 63
- Open access
- Yes
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1037/a0032087
Topics
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