Premenstrual disorders among young Turkish women: According to DSM-IV and DSM-V criteria using the premenstrual symptoms screening tool

Development and evaluation of an intervention package to alleviate the psychological effects of premenstrual syndrome in adolescent girls

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to develop and evaluate the effectiveness of a therapeutic package combining Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Narrative Therapy, and a gender-sensitive approach to reduce the psychological and emotional challenges of Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS) in adolescent girls.

METHODOLOGY

Using a quasi-experimental design, 30 adolescent girls from Saqqez, Iran, were randomly assigned to an intervention group (n = 15) or a control group (n = 15). The intervention group participated in a researcher-developed group therapy program over 10 sessions, focusing on reducing rumination and pain-related catastrophic thinking. Assessments were conducted pre-test, post-test, and at follow-up using validated psychological scales. Data were analyzed using ANCOVA.

RESULTS

The intervention significantly reduced rumination and pain catastrophizing in the experimental group compared to the control group (p < 0.05). These effects were sustained at follow-up, indicating the intervention's lasting impact on improving cognitive and emotional regulation.

CONCLUSION

The findings demonstrate that a therapeutic package integrating CBT, Narrative Therapy, and cultural sensitivity can effectively alleviate PMS-related psychological symptoms in adolescent girls. This approach holds promise for broader applications in educational and counseling settings to enhance adolescent well-being.

Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder: A Cross-Sectional Study on Prevalence and Awareness Among Medical Students

BACKGROUND

 Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), a severe form of PMS, has been recognized recently as a mental disorder. PMDD can present with disabling physical, mental, and psychological symptoms affecting women's daily functions. Due to its overlapping nature with other disorders, the prevalence of PMDD remains unknown. This study aimed to evaluate the awareness of PMDD among medical students and to assess the prevalence of PMDD among female students.

METHODS

 This cross-sectional study included 377 medical students from King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Jeddah. PMDD awareness was assessed using a self-developed questionnaire, and prevalence among women was evaluated with the PSST. Data were analyzed using the John's Macintosh Project software, version 10.0 (JMP Statistical Discovery, LLC, Cary, NC), with chi-square, Mann-Whitney, and Kruskal's tests, considering p < 0.05 as statistically significant.

RESULTS

 Out of 377 students, there was a significant difference in recognizing PMDD as a mental disorder between 106 female students (66%) and 51 male students (27.3%). Significantly higher PMDD awareness was observed among students in the clinical years and those with medical or mental conditions. Around 40% of the students had a positive attitude toward PMDD, believing it may require medical management. Among the 150 female medical students who met the inclusion criteria for PSST assessment to screen for PMDD, 8.7% tested positive, and this was correlated with the severity of dysmenorrhea. Anxiety/tension was the most common symptom in the PMDD group, with significant impairment in social activities and home responsibilities.

CONCLUSION

 The study demonstrated a noticeable level of awareness toward PMDD among medical students, especially among women and those in the clinical years. The association between PMDD symptoms and the severity of dysmenorrhea highlights the relationship between hormonal fluctuations and PMDD manifestations. Early detection and intervention are required to improve the quality of life for women with PMDD. Further research is recommended to assess the awareness of practitioners and the general population about the diagnosis of PMDD and to explore PMDD pathophysiology.

The Effect of Yoga Therapy in Premenstrual Syndrome: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomised Controlled Trials

OBJECTIVE

Up to 80% of women of reproductive age are thought to experience premenstrual stress, which is characterised by physical, psychological, and behavioural changes. Yoga activity lowers harmful inflammatory secretions that provide comfort for premenstrual syndrome (PMS) sufferers.

DATA SOURCES

The following worldwide databases were searched for this systematic review: Scopus, PubMed, Cochrane Library, PEDro, and Google Scholar from inception to August 2022.

STUDY SELECTION

A population, intervention, comparison, outcome, and study design framework was used for searching. Population included those with PMS or premenstrual tension syndromes, the intervention included yoga therapy, comparator was with control group, and outcome measures included blood pressure (BP) (systolic BP [SBP], diastolic BP [DBP]) and heart rate (HR).

DATA EXTRACTION AND SYNTHESIS

To evaluate the study, we employed the methodological index for randomised controlled trials. Fixed effects meta-analysis and qualitative synthesis were conducted. A total of 14 studies out of 224 were included. The main outcome measures included in this review were SBP, DBP, HR, and Moos Menstrual Distress Questionnaire. For the meta-analysis, 7 studies were considered. Three studies contributed data of SBP (mean difference [MD] -0.30; 95% CI -2.29 to 1.69, heterogenicity [I2] = 96%, P = 0.00001) and DBP (MD -0.25; 95% CI -0.99 to 0.49, I2 = 79%, P = 0.009). HR results from 4 studies were included (MD 0.08; 95% CI -0.83 to 0.99, I2 = 89%, P = 0.00001). A total of 3 studies contributed data of Moos Menstrual Distress Questionnaire (MD 1.50; 95% CI 0.91-2.10, I2 = 92%, P = 0.00001).

CONCLUSION

Yoga can help people with both medical and psychological conditions including menstrual pain, irregular periods, stress, tension, and anxiety. It has been shown to lessen women's emotional, behavioural, and physical PMS symptoms, which has enhanced their quality of life.

Gabrb2 knock-out mice exhibit double-directed PMDD-like symptoms: GABAAR subunits, neurotransmitter metabolism disruption, and allopregnanolone binding

Background: Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) is a severe mood disorder with pathological changes rooted in GABRB2 copy number variation. Here, we aimed to elucidate the gene dose effect and allopregnanolone binding mechanism of Gabrb2 on possible PMDD-like and comorbid phenotypes in knockout mice.

Methods: PMDD-like behaviors of Gabrb2-knockout mice were measured through various tests. Western Blot and ELISA were used to detect changes in the GABAAR subunits and related neurotransmitter changes in mice respectively for the internal mechanism. The response of mice to allopregnanolone (ALLO) was examined through an exogenous ALLO injection, then validated by the patch-clamp technique to elaborate the potential mechanism of ALLO-mediated GABAAR.

Results: Gabrb2-knockout mice displayed changes in anxiety-like and depression-like emotions opposite to PMDD symptoms, changes in social, learning, and memory capacities similar to PMDD symptoms, and pain threshold changes opposite to PMDD symptoms. GABAAR δ subunit expression in the brains of the Gabrb2-knockout mice was significantly higher than that of Wild-type mice (P<0.05). Gabrb2-knockout mice demonstrated neurotransmitter metabolism disturbance of GABA, Glu, acetylcholine, DA, norepinephrine, and epinephrine. Moreover, Gabrb2-knockout mice did not display the expected phenotypic effect after ALLO injection. Relative to WT mice, the knockout of the β2 subunit gene enhanced the agonistic effect of ALLO on GABAA receptors in cortical neuronal cells.

Conclusions: GABAAR β 2 regulates PMDD-like behaviors. The ALLO binding site may not be located on β two subunits, abnormal δ and ε subunit expression in the mouse brain and the disturbance of neurotransmitters may result in ALLO sensitivity.