Survey study, 1984
What psychological causes explain PMS?
No biological explanation exists yet for mood changes linked to the menstrual cycle. Medicines have not been better than placebo, and PMS may reflect how women view their femininity and themselves.
What they did
Discussed whether women's moods and behavior change with the menstrual cycle. Reviewed attempts to treat negative psychological symptoms in the premenstrual phase with medicines. Examined psychological theories of how PMS develops.
What they found
No biological explanation for psychological cyclicity has been found. Pharmacological treatment has not been significantly superior to placebo. Symptoms may reflect problems with feminine self-acceptance and self-esteem rather than purely biological causes. The way women attribute their mood changes to biology itself could affect their self-esteem.
What it means for you
PMS may involve how women feel about themselves and being female, not only biology. Many basic scientific questions remain unsolved about cyclical moods, how to measure symptoms fairly, and which questionnaires are reliable.
Theory paper
No empirical data
About the study
- Original title
- Psychosocial considerations of the premenstrual syndrome
- Authors
- Bernsted L, Luggin R, Petersson B
- Journal
- Acta psychiatrica Scandinavica
- Year
- 1984
- Study design
- Survey study
- What was tested
- None; review article
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1111/j.1600-0447.1984.tb02519.x