Randomised trial, 1998
Does cognitive therapy help women with PMS?
Yes. Cognitive therapy was significantly more effective than being on a waitlist, and women showed almost complete remission of symptoms.
What they did
A randomized controlled trial comparing 12 weekly sessions of individual cognitive therapy to a waiting list. Women had 2 months of prospective symptom diary recording confirming PMS before being randomly assigned.
What they found
Cognitive therapy was significantly more effective than the waitlist group. Women treated with cognitive therapy showed almost complete remission of psychological and somatic symptoms and of impairment of functioning.
What it means for you
Psychological therapy alone, without medication, can effectively treat PMS. The improvement was not simply from time passing or from the act of monitoring symptoms with diaries.
12
weekly sessions of cognitive therapy
2 months
prior diary recording to confirm PMS
About the study
- Original title
- Cognitive therapy for premenstrual syndrome: a controlled trial
- Authors
- Blake F, Salkovskis P, Gath D et al.
- Journal
- Journal of psychosomatic research
- Year
- 1998
- Study design
- Randomised trial
- What was tested
- 12 weekly sessions of individual cognitive therapy versus waiting list control
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1016/s0022-3999(98)00042-7
Topics
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