--- title: Do trauma and stress worsen PMS symptoms, and does how you think about events matter? description: Yes. Trauma and stress are strongly linked to worse PMS. The connection may work partly through how women interpret events and how much anger they feel. url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/the-relationship-between-trauma-stress-and-premenstrual-symptoms-the-role-of-2026/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - Do trauma and stress worsen PMS symptoms, and does how you think about events matter? Survey study, 2026 # Do trauma and stress worsen PMS symptoms, and does how you think about events matter? Yes. Trauma and stress are strongly linked to worse PMS. The connection may work partly through how women interpret events and how much anger they feel. Early or limited evidence 150 non-clinical women aged 18-31 (average age 21.82 years). ## What they did Surveyed 150 women aged 18-31 (average age 21.82) using questionnaires about PMS, trauma history, stress, how they interpret events, and anger. ## What they found PMS symptoms were strongly linked to trauma, stress, anger, and pessimistic thinking. Correlations ranged from 0.57 to 0.85 (higher means stronger links). Both anger and pessimistic thinking partly explained why trauma and stress were associated with worse PMS. ## What it means for you Trauma and stress worsen PMS, possibly through how you interpret events and how angry you feel. However, the study is a snapshot so we cannot prove trauma or stress causes PMS. The sample was small and young. Future studies should follow women over time. 150 women in the study 0.85 correlation between stress and PMS (strength of link) 0.57 correlation between pessimistic thinking and trauma ## About the study Original title The relationship between trauma, stress, and premenstrual symptoms: the role of attributional style and trait anger Authors Antosz-Rekucka R, Prochwicz K Journal Journal of reproductive and infant psychology Year 2026 Study design Survey study Participants 150 What was tested Trauma and perceived stress Open access Yes Read the paper [doi.org/10.1080/02646838.2024.2377099](https://doi.org/10.1080/02646838.2024.2377099) ## Topics [Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pmdd/)[Irritability and anger](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-irritability-anger/)[Stress](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-stress/)[Psychotherapy, counselling and education](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-psychotherapy/)[PTSD and trauma](https://niyora.com/research/topics/comorbidity-ptsd-trauma/)[Relationships and partners](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-relationships/) 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, 2025 Does trait anger explain why trauma and stress lead to premenstrual disorder symptoms? Systematic review, 2025 Is there a link between stress, trauma, and premenstrual symptoms? Survey study, 2025 What psychological and personal factors predict which university students will develop premenstrual syndrome? Survey study, 2025 How does sexual desire change during the menstrual cycle? 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 ↗