The impact of premenstrual syndrome on women’s quality of life – a myth or a fact?

D. Branecka-Woźniak, A. Cymbaluk-Płoska, R. Kurzawa

Department of Gynecology and Reproductive Health, Pomeranian Medical University, Szczecin, Poland. dobrawo@gmail.com

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• Gynecology

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to assess the quality of life (QoL) of women with premenstrual syndrome (PMS).

PATIENTS AND METHODS: The study involved 231 regularly menstruating women aged 18 years and older. The research was carried out from July 2018 to November 2018 at St. Maksymilian Maria Kolbe Catholic Secondary School in Szczecin, Non-Public Healthcare Center “MEDI-PLUS” in Zwierzyno, and by electronic means. The research instruments used in the study were: the author’s questionnaire concerning the severity of individual PMS symptoms (based on the APA criteria for PMDD, included in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th ed.), and the standardized World Health Organization Quality of Life (WHOQOL-BREF) questionnaire. Statistical analysis was performed using the SPSS 24 statistical package. The Kolmogorov-Smirnov test was used. The level of statistical significance was set as p < 0.05.

RESULTS: The QoL of women with PMS was at a medium level. Emotional symptoms were the most severe ones (p = 0.010). The highest QoL scores were obtained for the social relationship domain (p = 0.002), and the lowest for the mental health domain (p = 0.006).

CONCLUSIONS: PMS involves significant morbidity, and the health burden it causes is still not fully assessed. Young women constitute a group that shows the greatest need for psychological support because they experience the most severe PMS symptoms.

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