Evaluation of Regulation Strategies and Traumatic Experiences as Factors Predicting the Severity of Premenstrual Syndrome

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Ph.D. Student in Clinical Psychology, Department of Clinical Psychology, School of Behavior Sciences and Mental Health (Tehran Psychiatric Institute), Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

2 Department of Clinical Psychology, School of Behavior science, University of Social Welfare & Rehabilitation Sciences, Tehran, Iran

3 Ph.D. Student in Clinical Psychology, Student Research Committee, University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences, Tehran, Iran

Abstract

Background: The goal of the present study was to investigate the prediction of severity of premenstrual syndrome based on traumatic life experiences and adaptive and maladaptive emotion regulation strategies.
Methods: this was a descriptive-correlational study. The participants included a total of 207 adolescent girls studying in the high schools of Shiraz selected through convenience sampling method. The Premenstrual Symptoms Screening Tool (PSST), the Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (CERQ), and the Traumatic Experiences Checklist (TEC) were used to gather data. Means, standard deviations, Pearson correlation coefficient and regression analysis were used to analyze the data.
Results: The results indicated a significant relationship between premenstrual syndrome and maladaptive cognitive emotion regulation strategies, so that catastrophizing predicted 37% of the variance of premenstrual syndrome. In addition, there was a significant relationship between premenstrual syndrome and traumatic events, so that threat to life/bizarre punishment/intense pain as a traumatic event, predicted 34% of the variance of premenstrual syndrome. However, no significant association was found between premenstrual syndrome and adaptive cognitive emotion regulation strategies.
Conclusion: The results suggest that emotion regulation-based interventions and trainings can be useful in helping female students apply adaptive cognitive emotion regulation strategies in coping with premenstrual syndrome.

Keywords

References

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Journal of Kerman University of Medical Sciences
Volume 27, Issue 2
March and April 2020
Pages 159-168

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