--- title: Is psychological stress linked to menstrual problems? | Niyora description: Yes. Higher stress was linked to more dysmenorrhea (period pain), premenstrual syndrome, and heavy bleeding in medical students. The study is associational, s url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/the-effect-of-psychological-stress-on-the-menstrual-cycle-among-medical-students-2024/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - Is psychological stress linked to menstrual problems? Survey study, 2024 # Is psychological stress linked to menstrual problems? Yes. Higher stress was linked to more dysmenorrhea (period pain), premenstrual syndrome, and heavy bleeding in medical students. The study is associational, so we don't know if stress causes these problems or if they cause stress. Early or limited evidence 397 female medical students in Baghdad, Iraq (mean age 20.84 years) ## What they did Cross-sectional study of 397 female medical students in Baghdad, Iraq, conducted from May 18-28, 2021. They completed an online questionnaire about their age, body weight, menstrual history, and psychological stress levels. ## What they found Nearly all students had menstrual problems: 92.9% had dysmenorrhea (period pain) and 98.5% had premenstrual symptoms. Those with higher stress scores were significantly more likely to have dysmenorrhea, premenstrual syndrome, and heavy bleeding (p < 0.05). ## What it means for you High stress seems linked to menstrual problems in this group, but this was only medical students in Baghdad at one specific time in 2021, so the results may not apply widely to other women or ages. The study is a snapshot, so we can't prove stress causes the problems. 92.9% Prevalence of dysmenorrhea 98.5% Prevalence of premenstrual symptoms 22.71 ± 6.016 Mean stress score (Perceived Stress Scale-10) ## About the study Original title The effect of psychological stress on the menstrual cycle among medical students Authors Elah Sadiqi MA, Salih AA Journal JPMA. The Journal of the Pakistan Medical Association Year 2024 Study design Survey study Participants 397 What was tested None (observational study) Open access Yes Read the paper [doi.org/10.47391/jpma-bagh-16-36](https://doi.org/10.47391/jpma-bagh-16-36) Original abstract Objective: To assess the prevalence of menstrual abnormalities among medical students, and to explore its association with stress levels. Methods: TThe cross-sectional study was conducted from May 18 to May 28, 2021, in Baghdad, Iraq, after approval from the ethics review committee of the College of Medicine, Mustansiriyah University, Baghdad, and comprised female medical students in Baghdad. Data was collected using simple random sampling technique and employed an online questionnaire that was distributed through e-mail. The questionnaire had 3 domains: demographic and anthropometric data, menstrual history, and psychological stress. The psychosocial stress levels was assessed using the Perceived Stress Scale-10. Data was analysed using SPSS 25. Results: There were 397 subjects with mean age 20.84±1.621 years (range: 17-24 years). Mean age of menarche was 12.65±1.399 years, mean body mass index was 22.71±6.369kg/m2 and the mean stress score was 22.71±6.016. Dysmenorrhoea was seen in 369(92.9%) cases, and premenstrual symptoms in 391(98.5%). Dysmenorrhoea, premenstrual syndrome and heavy bleeding were significantly associated with stress level (p<0.05). Conclusions: Most students had heavy bleeding and dysmenorrhoea, which were severe enough to require analgesics. There was a significant association between high stress levels and the occurrence of menstrual abnormalities. Reproduced under CC-BY. ## Topics [Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Dysmenorrhea and period pain](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-dysmenorrhea/)[Stress](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-stress/)[Students and academic performance](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-education/)[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, 2021 Did COVID-19 stress make PMS worse for young women? Survey study, 2019 Does exam stress make PMS symptoms worse? Cohort study, 2019 How do exercise, diet and weight affect menstrual problems? Survey study, 2019 What menstrual problems do international students develop when they move to China? Survey study, 2019 How common are PMS and PMDD in adolescent girls, and how much do they affect daily life? Survey study, 2025 What factors are linked to PMS in female graduate students? Ask AI about this page Copy prompt ChatGPT ↗ Claude ↗ Perplexity ↗ Google AI Mode ↗ Grok ↗