Survey study, 1994
Do women with PMS perceive stress and social support differently at different times in their menstrual cycle?
Yes. All women perceived more stressors as severe during the premenstrual phase, but only women with PMS reported lower satisfaction with their social support and self-esteem at that time. This suggests the cycle affects how women with PMS view their stress and relationships.
What they did
32 women (10 with PMS, 22 without) kept daily diaries for 35 days rating how severe their stressors were. Before and after their period, they answered questions about their social support satisfaction and self-esteem.
What they found
All women rated more stressors as severe during the premenstrual phase compared to after their period. All women perceived fewer people in their social support network premenstrually. However, only women with PMS reported lower satisfaction with their social support and lower self-esteem during the premenstrual phase.
What it means for you
The menstrual cycle changes how all women perceive stress, but women with PMS experience more negative changes in how they feel about their relationships and themselves. Understanding these perceptual changes could help doctors design more effective treatments. The main limitations are the small sample size, especially the small number of PMS women (only 10), and the observational design.
32
Total women studied
10
Women with PMS
35
Days of diary tracking
About the study
- Original title
- Menstrual-related perceptual changes in women with premenstrual syndrome: Factors to consider in treatment
- Authors
- Anne M. Fontana, Beth A. Pontari
- Journal
- Counselling Psychology Quarterly
- Year
- 1994
- Study design
- Survey study
- What was tested
- None (observational diary study)
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1080/09515079408254162
Topics
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