--- title: Is acceptance therapy (ACT) more effective than other treatments for PMS? description: Yes, for stress. ACT reduced emotional PMS symptoms and perceived stress more than cognitive behavioral therapy or no treatment, with stress improvements last url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/effects-of-acceptance-and-commitment-therapy-act-on-premenstrual-symptoms-2017/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - Is acceptance therapy (ACT) more effective than other treatments for PMS? Cohort study, 2017 # Is acceptance therapy (ACT) more effective than other treatments for PMS? Yes, for stress. ACT reduced emotional PMS symptoms and perceived stress more than cognitive behavioral therapy or no treatment, with stress improvements lasting at follow-up. Early or limited evidence 21 women in their 20s with PMS diagnosis from 263 university students ## What they did Researchers randomly assigned 21 women with PMS into three equal groups: acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), and a control group with no treatment. ACT and CBT groups attended 10 therapy sessions twice weekly. Stress, emotional symptoms, and attitudes toward menstruation were measured immediately after treatment and again about one month later. ## What they found The emotional symptom component of PMS decreased significantly more in ACT and CBT groups compared to control. Attitudes toward menstruation improved in the ACT group (not significantly) and in the CBT group (significantly at follow-up). Perceived stress decreased significantly more in the ACT group than in both control and CBT groups, and this improvement was maintained at follow-up. ## What it means for you ACT may be particularly effective for reducing stress and emotional symptoms of PMS compared to standard therapy. The main limitation is the very small sample size of only 21 women total, so findings need confirmation in larger studies. 21 participants (7 per group) 10 therapy sessions per group ## About the study Original title Effects of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy(ACT) on Premenstrual Symptoms, Attitudes about Menstruation, and Perceived Stress of Women with Premenstrual Syndrome Authors Min-Jung Jung, Mi-Ok La, ChongNak Son Journal Journal of Digital Convergence Year 2017 Study design Cohort study Participants 263 What was tested Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) versus Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) Open access Yes Read the paper [doi.org/10.14400/jdc.2017.15.1.485](https://doi.org/10.14400/jdc.2017.15.1.485) ## Topics [Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Cognition, concentration and memory](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-cognition/)[Stress](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-stress/)[Cognitive behavioral therapy](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-cbt/)[Mindfulness and meditation](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-mindfulness/)[Students and academic performance](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-education/)[Stigma, attitudes and culture](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-stigma-culture/) Research tells you what helps on average. Niyora helps on the day it hits. Calm down, see it another way, and decide what to say, with a PMS and PMDD app built by a doctor. ## Related studies Non-randomised trial, 2024 Does cognitive-behavioral or mindfulness stress management help reduce PMS in high school girls? Systematic review, 2025 Does teaching adolescent girls about their menstrual cycle and health help reduce period pain and PMS? Randomised trial, 2026 Which works better for PMDD: cognitive-behavioral therapy or mindfulness-based cognitive therapy? Randomised trial, 2026 Does acceptance and commitment therapy help women with PMS manage emotions and unhelpful thoughts? Randomised trial, 2022 Does online counselling using cognitive-behavioral techniques help PMS symptoms? Randomised trial, 2018 Does mindfulness-based cognitive-behavioral therapy reduce premenstrual syndrome symptoms? Ask AI about this page Copy prompt ChatGPT ↗ Claude ↗ Perplexity ↗ Google AI Mode ↗ Grok ↗