---
title: Is there a link between past sexual abuse and seeking treatment for PMS?
description: Yes, a notable share of women seeking PMS treatment had a history of sexual abuse, and this history was linked to psychiatric hospitalization, but this was an
url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/sexual-abuse-and-premenstrual-syndrome-comparison-between-a-lower-and-higher-1990/
---

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- Is there a link between past sexual abuse and seeking treatment for PMS?

Cohort study, 1990

# Is there a link between past sexual abuse and seeking treatment for PMS?

Yes, a notable share of women seeking PMS treatment had a history of sexual abuse, and this history was linked to psychiatric hospitalization, but this was an observational study so it cannot prove abuse causes PMS.

 Early or limited evidence

174 women presenting with symptoms of premenstrual syndrome, from higher and lower socioeconomic groups

## What they did

Researchers looked at 174 women who were seeking treatment for PMS, comparing a higher socioeconomic status (SES) group and a lower SES group, and asked about history of sexual abuse and depression symptoms (using the Beck Depression Inventory).

## What they found

40% of the 174 women had a history of being a victim of sexual abuse. 33% of women were in the high-SES group and 52% were in the low-SES group. Sexual abuse history was connected to psychiatric hospitalization in women seeking PMS treatment. Beck Depression Inventory scores were high overall. There were few differences between the high- and low-SES groups.

## What it means for you

Asking about sexual abuse history may be important when evaluating women with PMS, since it may relate to more severe mental health outcomes. The main limits are that this only looked at women already seeking treatment, so it may not apply to all women with PMS, and it cannot show that abuse causes PMS, only that the two are linked.

40%

Women with a history of sexual abuse

33%

High-SES group

52%

Low-SES group

## About the study

Original title Sexual abuse and premenstrual syndrome: comparison between a lower and higher socioeconomic group Authors Paddison PL, Gise LH, Lebovits A et al. Journal Psychosomatics Year 1990 Study design Cohort study Participants 174 Read the paper [doi.org/10.1016/s0033-3182(90)72162-7](https://doi.org/10.1016/s0033-3182(90)72162-7)

## Topics

[Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Economic burden](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-economic-burden/)

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