Premenstrual Symptom Patterns and Coping Style in Women with Premenstrual Change

Lew, Young Min; Joe, Sook Haeng

Abstract

This study was designed to compare the relationships of premenstrual symptom patterns, stress perception, and coping style between women with premenstrual change and women without premenstrual change, using prospective methods. Fifty one women older than 20 years and in healthy state were asked to complete the Daily Rating Form and Daily Stress Scale(6-point Likert scale) during one menstrual cycle. They were also instructed to respond to the Ways of Coping Checklist. Fifty-percent-change method was used to identify women with premenstrual change, and methods of chisquare, t-test, paired t-test, and correlation were employed to analyze their responses. The results are as follow. 1) 47.1% of the subjects were classified into premenstrual change group. 2) No significant difference between women with premenstural change and women without premenstrual change was found in demographic characteristics(e.g., age, education, job, marriage) and menstrual characteristics(e.g., ages of menarche, regularity of menstruation, interval and duration of menstruation, amount of menstruation, dysmenorrhea). 3) There was no significant difference in coping style between women with premenstural change and women without premenstrual change. However, we observed relationships between some of premenstrual symptoms(i.e., depressed mood, lability, difficulty in concentrating, changes in appetite, being overwhelmed) and coping style, among women with premenstrual change during premenstrual phase. No association was observed between premenstrual symptoms and coping style among women without premenstrual change. 4) Women with premenstrual change reported more stressfulness premenstrually than post-menstrually(t=5.09, df=22, p=.000) as compared to women without premenstrual change(t=0.59 df=26, p=.56). Our findings suggest that, among women with premenstrual change, there exists significant relationship between premenstrual symptom patterns and coping style. Also, the ways stressors are perceived are likely to be affected by the menstrual cycle phase, only among women with premenstrual change. These findings are consistent with the state-dependent model of premenstrual syndrome. Therefore, we should consider stress management as an important therapeutic strategy for those with premenstrual change, because of their high vulnerability to stressors.