Non-randomised trial, 2024
Does cognitive behavioral therapy help reduce PMDD symptoms in teenage girls?
Yes. Adolescents with PMDD who received cognitive behavioral therapy showed significant symptom reduction compared to a no-treatment group.
What they did
16 Pakistani female adolescents (average age 14.90 years) were divided into two groups of 8 each. One group received 7 individual cognitive behavioral therapy sessions. The other group received no treatment. Symptoms were measured before and after using standard questionnaires.
What they found
The CBT group showed significant symptom reduction on pre- and post-testing (p less than 0.05). CBT increased positive attitudes and positive experiences related to menstruation. Detailed results for the control group were not described.
What it means for you
Cognitive behavioral therapy may help reduce PMDD symptoms and improve attitudes toward menstruation in teenage girls. The main limitations are that this is a very small study with only 16 adolescents, there was no proper control group, and we cannot determine whether improvement came from the therapy itself or from attention and expectations. Only Pakistani population studied.
16
adolescents enrolled
8
participants per group
7
individual CBT sessions
About the study
- Original title
- The Effect of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy on the Symptoms of Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder of Pakistani Female Adolescents
- Authors
- Madiha Azam, Sidra Shoaib
- Journal
- Annals of Human and Social Sciences
- Year
- 2024
- Study design
- Non-randomised trial
- Participants
- 16
- What was tested
- 7 individual cognitive behavioral therapy sessions versus no treatment
- Open access
- Yes
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.35484/ahss.2024(5-i)46
Topics
Related studies
Review, 2015
What do we know about PMS and PMDD and how are they treated?
Review, 2013
What treatments work best for PMDD?
Randomised trial, 2026
Which works better for PMDD: cognitive-behavioral therapy or mindfulness-based cognitive therapy?
Study, 2025
Does cognitive-behavioral therapy help girls with PMDD feel better about themselves?
Cohort study, 2022
What are PMS and PMDD and how should they be diagnosed and treated?
Survey study, 2021
Does cognitive-behavioral emotional regulation training help women with PMDD?