--- title: How common and severe are premenstrual symptoms in teenage girls? description: Premenstrual symptoms are nearly universal. 88% reported moderate or worse symptoms and 56% reported extreme severity. Older teenage girls had significantly m url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/premenstrual-symptoms-prevalence-and-severity-in-an-adolescent-sample-1998/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - How common and severe are premenstrual symptoms in teenage girls? Survey study, 1998 # How common and severe are premenstrual symptoms in teenage girls? Premenstrual symptoms are nearly universal. 88% reported moderate or worse symptoms and 56% reported extreme severity. Older teenage girls had significantly more intense symptoms than younger ones. Early or limited evidence 75 adolescents with mean age 14.8 years (96% white, 3% Black, 1% Asian) ## What they did 75 adolescents filled out a self-report questionnaire about physical, emotional, and behavioral premenstrual symptoms. Researchers compared symptoms between younger girls (13-15 years old) and older girls (16-18 years old), using both their age and how long they had been menstruating. ## What they found All 75 girls reported at least one premenstrual symptom. The most common were food cravings, breast swelling, abdominal discomfort, mood swings, feeling stressed, and dissatisfaction with appearance. 88% reported moderate symptoms, 73% reported severe symptoms, and 56% reported extreme symptoms. Less common were missing school, violent behavior, and thoughts of self-harm or death. Girls who were 41 or more months past their first period had significantly more intense symptoms. ## What it means for you Premenstrual symptoms are nearly universal and often severe in teenage girls. A concerning finding is that some girls report thoughts of self-harm or death related to their cycle, though this is less common. The sample was small and 96% white, which limits how much we can generalize. 88% Moderate or worse symptoms 56% Extreme symptoms 75 Study participants ## About the study Original title Premenstrual symptoms. Prevalence and severity in an adolescent sample Authors Cleckner-Smith CS, Doughty AS, Grossman JA Journal The Journal of adolescent health : official publication of the Society for Adolescent Medicine Year 1998 Study design Survey study Participants 75 What was tested None Read the paper [doi.org/10.1016/s1054-139x(97)00239-5](https://doi.org/10.1016/s1054-139x(97)00239-5) ## Topics [Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Suicidality](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-suicidality/)[Adolescents and young people](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-adolescents/) 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 Survey study, 2024 Can a spiritual emotional freedom technique delivered through an app help with PMS and sleep? Survey study, 2024 Is PMS linked to mental health problems and stress in teenage girls? Cohort study, 2023 Are premenstrual disorders linked to depression, anxiety, and self-harm in teenage girls? Cohort study, 2002 How common is PMDD and does it stick around? Survey study, 2026 Do teen girls with ADHD have more suicidal thoughts when angry before their period? Survey study, 2026 Do girls who experienced childhood abuse or neglect have higher PMDD symptoms? Ask AI about this page Copy prompt ChatGPT ↗ Claude ↗ Perplexity ↗ Google AI Mode ↗ Grok ↗