--- title: Do childhood trauma and certain personality traits make PMS or PMDD symptoms worse? description: Yes, childhood maltreatment and personality traits like high worry and low self-directedness were linked to worse PMS or PMDD. This is based on questionnaires url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/roles-of-childhood-maltreatment-personality-traits-and-life-stress-in-the-2022/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - Do childhood trauma and certain personality traits make PMS or PMDD symptoms worse? Survey study, 2022 # Do childhood trauma and certain personality traits make PMS or PMDD symptoms worse? Yes, childhood maltreatment and personality traits like high worry and low self-directedness were linked to worse PMS or PMDD. This is based on questionnaires in one country, so it shows correlation but not definite cause. Early or limited evidence 240 adult women in Japan ## What they did 240 adult women in Japan filled out questionnaires about childhood abuse history, personality traits, life stress, depression, and PMS or PMDD symptoms. Researchers analyzed how these factors related to each other. ## What they found High worry (high harm avoidance) and low self-direction personality traits directly made PMS or PMDD symptoms worse. Childhood maltreatment was linked to worse symptoms both directly and through its effect on personality traits. ## What it means for you Personality style and trauma history may influence how severe PMS or PMDD symptoms become. The main limit is that this is based on questionnaires in one country, so it shows correlation only, not cause and effect. 3% to 8% Estimated percentage of women with PMDD 240 Adult women surveyed 2 Personality traits that directly affected PMS severity ## About the study Original title Roles of childhood maltreatment, personality traits, and life stress in the prediction of severe premenstrual symptoms Authors Morishita C, Inoue T, Honyashiki M et al. Journal BioPsychoSocial medicine Year 2022 Study design Survey study Participants 240 What was tested Examined relationship between childhood trauma, personality traits, and stress on PMS severity Open access Yes Read the paper [doi.org/10.1186/s13030-022-00240-7](https://doi.org/10.1186/s13030-022-00240-7) Original abstract Background: About 3% to 8% of women of fertile age are thought to have premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), which is regarded as a serious form of premenstrual syndrome (PMS), although the details of this common condition remain unclear. The aim of this study was to analyze the interrelations of childhood maltreatment, personality traits, and life stress in the etiology of PMS/PMDD. Methods: A total of 240 adult female volunteers from a community in Japan were investigated, using the following 5 questionnaires: Patient Health Quesstionaire-9, Child Abuse and Trauma Scale, Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI), Life Experiences Survey, and premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) scale. The questionnaire data were subjected to path analyses to clarify the association between childhood maltreatment and the severity of premenstrual symptoms, mediated by personality traits and life stress. Results: The 2 path analysis models showed that high harm avoidance (HA) on the TCI and low self-directedness (SD) on the TCI had significant direct effects on the severity of premenstrual symptoms. Moreover, childhood maltreatment was associated with the severity of premenstrual symptoms, both directly and indirectly through personality traits. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that HA on the TCI might be a risk factor for severe premenstrual symptoms among general women and furthermore that SD on the TCI may be a protective factor. In addition, childhood maltreatment is associated with severe premenstrual symptoms both directly and indirectly through personality traits. Reproduced under CC-BY. ## Topics [Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pmdd/)[Low mood and depression](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-depression-mood/)[Stress](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-stress/)[PTSD and trauma](https://niyora.com/research/topics/comorbidity-ptsd-trauma/) 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 Cohort study, 2025 Do pain sensitivity and negative thinking explain how trauma and stress cause PMS or PMDD? Cohort study, 2022 How common are suicidal thoughts and self-harm in people with PMDD? Cohort study, 2004 What risk factors cause PMDD to develop? Cohort study, 2003 Is PTSD really connected to PMDD, or is it just coincidence? Review, 2000 What conditions beyond depression can antidepressants treat? Survey study, 2026 Do mindfulness, self-compassion and sense of coherence protect against severe PMS and PMDD? Ask AI about this page Copy prompt ChatGPT ↗ Claude ↗ Perplexity ↗ Google AI Mode ↗ Grok ↗