Psychological Predictors of Premenstrual Syndrome

Background: Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) is one the most common gynecological conditions that can impact an individual’s interpersonal relationships, social interactions, academic performance, and emotional well-being.

Objective: The aim of this research was to determine the psychological predictors of PMS.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was planned with medical students of Babol University of Medical Sciences. Participants were 350 female students (175 with PMS, 175 without PMS). Psychological risk factors were assessed in four domains: affect, social support, personality, alexithymia with four questionnaires; Depression, Anxiety, Stress (DAS-21); Social Support questionnaire (SSQ); NEO-Five Factor Inventory of Personality (NEO-FFI); and 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20). Also, demographic, habits, and gynecological factors were evaluated as non-psychological factors. Analysis of data was performed with χ2 test and multivariate logistic regressions analysis.

Results: The strongest predictor of PMS was alexithymia (OR 4.39; %95 CI 2.62-7.36). Risk of PMS was approximately 2.7 times higher in women with low social support (OR 2.67; %95 CI 1.59-4.48), 1.3 times higher in women with a neurotic character (OR 1.34; %95 CI 1.07-2.31), and 1.2- times higher in women with an increased level of anxiety symptoms (OR 1.17; %95 CI 1.06-2.13).

Conclusion: Psychological factors such as alexithymia character, neurotic personality, high anxiety, and low social support are helpful in differentiating women with PMS from those without PMS. This study proposes that psychological factors are the main predictors of PMS and should be considered for evaluation and treatment of the illness.