Women's beliefs about the prevalence of premenstrual syndrome and biases in recall of premenstrual changes.

The present study investigated the relationship between women's beliefs about the prevalence of premenstrual syndrome (PMS) and biases in recall of premenstrual changes. Forty-nine women completed the Moos Menstrual Distress Questionnaire (R. H. Moos, 1968) both retrospectively and prospectively. Afterward, they were asked about their beliefs concerning the prevalence of PMS. The women reported higher premenstrual changes when they completed the retrospective questionnaire. Seventy-five percent of the women believed that the majority of women have premenstrual changes. From this percentage, those who answered that the majority also experience PMS were more biased in their premenstrual changes in the retrospective assessment. Many women have a misperception about the meaning of PMS; consequently, they amplify their premenstrual changes in recall, reflecting women's cultural stereotypes rather than their actual experiences.     

An Overview of Assessment and Treatment of Premenstrual Syndrome

Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) is a commonly occurring problem that must be dealt with by both the helping and the health professions. The authors provide a brief update on recent advances in understanding and treating PMS. They emphasize points of contact among various health professionals in developing an interdisciplinary approach to intervention.     

经前期综合征与奖赏进程失调——来自脑电的证据

研究表明, 经前期综合征(Premenstrual syndromes, PMS)女性的情绪平衡性存在问题, 而现有研究多从负性情绪上升的角度考察PMS的发病机制, 而对其正性情绪缺损的关注不足。鉴于正性情绪与奖赏进程密切相关, 本研究试图从奖赏进程失调的角度考察PMS女性与健康女性的差异以及该差异是否存在阶段特异性的问题, 以期从正性情绪缺损的角度揭示其发病机制。具体而言, 分别选取PMS女性与健康女性23名和22名, 考察两组被试在黄体晚期(即经前期)和卵泡早期(即经后期)正性情绪以及完成赌博任务时的脑电数据时域和频域的差异。主观问卷结果显示, PMS女性的愉快和平静情绪低于健康女性, 并且情绪平衡性也低于健康女性, 但无明显的阶段特异性。时域分析结果显示, PMS组在经前期收到奖赏反馈后奖赏正波(reward positivity, RewP)的波幅和差异波(即奖赏条件和惩罚条件下的差值)的波幅均低于健康女性, 进一步的相关分析结果显示, 对于PMS组来说, 经前期奖赏条件下的RewP波幅和差异波波幅与经前期的情绪平衡性显著正相关。频域分析的结果则发现PMS组在经前期奖赏条件下的θ频段(4~7 Hz, 250~400 ms)能量低于健康组。研究表明, PMS女性在经前期的奖赏加工进程存在异常, 表现为对奖赏反馈的预期增强, 而在收到奖赏反馈后又出现了钝化反应, 且奖赏进程的失调与情绪平衡性相关。本研究为理解PMS女性奖赏进程失调的动态加工时程和神经震荡特征及其与情绪平衡性的关系提供了初步的神经生理证据。     

Menstrual-related perceptual changes in women with premenstrual syndrome: Factors to consider in treatment

The state-dependent model of premenstrual syndrome (PMS) suggests that women's perceptions of daily stressors are affected by menstrual cycle phase. Our objective was to further examine the applicability of this model to perceptions of specific kinds of daily stressors and to explore its generalizability to perceptions involving significant others. Thirty-two undergraduate women, 10 PMS and 22 asymptomatic controls, completed the Daily Stress Inventory (DSI) and the Daily Rating Form (DRF) for 35 days. Questionnaires measuring perceived social support and self-esteem were completed premenstrually and postmenstrually. Results indicated that all women perceived a greater number of stressors as being severe premenstrually as compared to postmenstrually. Furthermore, all women perceived a lesser number of signifcant others as being present in their social support network premenstrually. However, only the PMS women were less satisfied with their social support and had more negative self-esteem premenstrually as compared to postmenstrually. Results are discussed within the context of designing treatment intermentions for women with PMS.     

Premenstrual Syndrome and Misattribution: A Self-Perception,Individual Differences Perspective

Self-perception theory suggests that premenstrual syndrome (PMS) may arise from the misattribution of hormone-induced bodily changes. If so, individual differences in the role of bodily responses in emotional feelings, measured in a separate expression-manipulation procedure, should be related to susceptibility to PMS. In Study 1, women responsive to cues from their bodies showed significant mood changes, both negative and positive, with their cycle, over a 60 day span; whereas women relatively unresponsive to personal, bodily cues showed no consistent cycle effects. PMS was also predicted by a measure of emotional complexity. In Study 2 women whose moods were based on bodily cues also rated their moods as less positive if they were in their premenstrual week, and women unresponsive to their bodies were unaffected by their cycle. A reminder of their cycle-stage prevented PMS in the body cue group, which is a kind of discounting effect. Women who were unresponsive to their bodies also did not show PMS, and were unaffected by the reminder.     

Mood-related self-schemata and mood-congruity effects in autobiographical memory: A study of women with premenstrual syndrome

Everyday autobiographical memory and mood interactions were explored in a small clinical sample of women with premenstrual syndrome (PMS) and a matched control group. Subjects kept daily records of memorable events for two consecutive menstrual cycles. Two recognition memory tests were given after a one-cycle delay. Mood, or affect, was self-assessed retrospectively over a week, at the end of each day during data collection and at testing, and when events occurred. Women with PMS were more depressed and more negative (angry) than positive (experiencing bursts of energy) in their daily moods than controls. Memory accuracy was poorer overall for PMS than control subjects, although no direct effects of menstrual cycle phase on memory were found. Instead, mood affected memory indirectly through moodrelated self-schemata which subsequently mediated mood-congruity effects. Memory accuracy for events experienced in negative mood states and associated with negative affective reactions was higher for PMS subjects when tested in negative mood states than for controls. No group differences were found on events associated with positive affect or positive daily moods when mood state at the time of testing was also positive. Women with PMS processed information selectively from negative events and events experienced in negative moods compared to controls. Negative events and negative moods appeared to interfere with remembering for control subjects. Women in the control group appeared to be biased towards selectively remembering positive events and events experienced on days when their mood states were relatively positive.     

Psychotherapist Diagnosis of Premenstrual Syndrome

The authors examined the ability of psychotherapists to diagnose premenstrual syndrome (PMS). They developed two case vignettes that were identical except that symptoms were described as cyclical in one and noncyclical in the other. Participants were asked to provide selected demographic information and requested to make a diagnosis, to indicate the clinical feature in which they made the diagnosis, and to select a treatment they would recommend for treating the case. The results indicated that most therapists can distinguish a PMS case from a non-PMS case based on the cyclical versus noncyclical feature. The number of psychotherapists who misdiagnosed the case, however, is seen as cause for concern.     

Antenatal depressive symptoms are strongly predicted by the severity of pre-menstrual syndrome: results of partial least squares analysis

Background/Objective: Antenatal depression (AD) is the commonest morbidity during pregnancy. There is evidence that premenstrual syndrome (PMS) and AD share common immune-inflammatory and sex hormonal pathways. This study aims to evaluate the association between the severity of depressive PMS and AD in early and late pregnancy. Method: Participants were followed from early (<=16 weeks) to late pregnancy (>=20 weeks). The Premenstrual Symptoms Screening Tool (PSST) was used to assess PMS and AD symptoms were assessed using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS). Results: Up to 57.6% of the variance in the early EPDS score was explained by the regression on the first factor extracted from 10 depression and anxiety PSST items (dubbed the DepAnx PSST), insomnia PSST, relation dissatisfaction, and partner abuse. There were specific indirect effects of DepAnx PSST (p < 0.001), insomnia PSST (p = 0.041), relation dissatisfaction (p = 0.023) and partner abuse (p = 0.007) on the late EPDS which were mediated by the early EPDS score. Conclusion: The affective, but not psychosomatic, symptoms of PMS strongly predict AD symptoms suggesting that the pathophysiology of affective PMS symptoms overlap with those of AD.     

Premenstrual Syndrome: The Role of Emotion Regulation Strategies and Trait Meta-Mood

Journal of Rational-Emotive & Cognitive-Behavior Therapy - The aim of the current study was to compare women with premenstrual syndrome (PMS) and with women in a non-PMS group with regard to...     

Health and Sickness: The Meaning of Menstruation and Premenstrual Syndrome in Women's Lives

The experience of menstruation was examined through an analysis of women's narratives in order to understand perceptions of menstrual cycle changes. Research within a medical anthropology perspective was conducted with 43 women who volunteered for a study on the knowledge and understanding of menstruation and premenstrual syndrome (PMS) in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, from 1997 to 1999. Although most women accepted the PMS label and placed their cyclic changes within the realm of sickness, a small group of women were identified who conceptualized their cyclic changes in an extremely positive way thus reframing their experiences. More positive perceptions of menstrual changes may have a significant impact on the reevaluation of menstrual cycle fluctuations as sickness without devaluing the experiences of those women with severe changes.     

Effects of the premenstrual syndrome on facial expressions of sadness

This study examined the relationship between PMS and emotion-related electromyographic facial activity at different phases of the menstrual cycle. Twenty-four women of reproductive age (12 with PMS, 12 controls) participated in two EMG sessions (T1 and T2) in which they were shown photographic images that can elicit various emotions (IAPS stimuli). T1 took place in the follicular phase, T2 in the luteal phase. The activity of the musculus depressor anguli oris ("depressor", expression of sadness) was measured. Depressor activity was compared to activity of musculus orbicularis oculi ("orbicularis"; expression of joy). ANOVA yielded a significant increase of the activity of the depressor at T2 in the PMS group. The PMS group showed more frequent depressor activity during the luteal than the follicular phase. Orbicularis activity did not change from T1 to T2. Conclusions: The PMS group experienced various visual stimuli in a more depressed way during the luteal phase.     

Causal attributions in premenstrual syndrome

Abstract

The relationship between causal attributions and symptoms was investigated with self-report inventories in patients with premenstrual syndrome (n=38) and controls (n=26) during the premenstrual as well as the intermenstrual phase of the cycle. Patients with prospectively confirmed premenstrual exacerbations of physical and psychological symptoms more frequently attributed their complaints during premenstruum to the cycle than was the case during the intermenstrual period. Controls showed no differences in types of explanations for complaints in either phase of the cycle. It appeared that patients used not only the menstrual cycle, but also psychological distress and physical exertion, more often then controls as an explanation for complaints during both phases of the cycle. Implications of the finding that patients used medical as well as non-medical explanations for complaints during the cycle are discussed with regard to treatment strategies for PMS.     

PLACING PREMENSTRUAL SYNDROME IN PERSPECTIVE

In a longitudinal prospective study, mood fluctuations were assessed for evidence of premenstrual syndrome (PMS) as well as other menstrual, day of week, and lunar cyclicity. Volunteer participants from the community (60 women and 10 men) provided daily data for 12 to 18 weeks. Significant mood fluctuation was determined by a new nonparametric method using each individual's own standard deviation as a measure of "marked" change. Cyclicity was the norm; two thirds of both the women and men had one or more menstrual or lunar phases or days of the week that were markedly positive and/or negative, relative to their own range, but few experienced stereotypical cyclicity (PMS, Monday blues, full moon). About half the women whose prospective data met conservative criteria for PMS, met liberal criteria, or met neither criteria said they had PMS, and half in each group said they did not.     

The influence of the menstrual cycle on reactivity to a CO2 challenge among women with and without premenstrual symptoms

Clinically significant premenstrual symptoms (PMS) is conceptualized as a depressive disorder in DSM-5, however, it may share pathophysiological processes with anxiety- and fear-related disorders. Specifically, women with PMS panic at higher rates during biological challenge procedures. It is unclear if this increased interoceptive sensitivity is a general vulnerability or specific to the premenstrual phase. The current study examined the role of menstrual cycle phase on reactivity to a CO₂ challenge among women with (n = 11) and without (n = 26) clinically significant PMS (N = 37). During the late follicular phase (days 6–12), women with and without PMS responded similarly to the CO₂ challenge, whereas during the premenstrual phase (within 5 days before menses), women with PMS reported significantly more intense panic symptoms in response to the challenge than women without PMS. Vulnerability to panic in women with PMS may be specific to the premenstrual phase. Potential psychological and neurobiological mechanisms underlying this phenomenon are discussed.     

Examining the factor structure of the Psychological Mindedness Scale in the Japanese population through exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses

Psychological mindedness (PM) is a psychological construct that represents the tendency and ability to understand the relationships between thoughts, feelings, and behavior. This study examined the statistical properties, particularly the factor structure, of the Psychological Mindedness Scale (PMS) in a non‐clinical Japanese sample through exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis. The relationship between PMS and depression was also examined for predictive validity. The results suggested that the PMS tested on a Japanese sample contains the following four factors: (a) belief in the benefits of discussing one's problems; (b) access to feelings; (c) openness to new ideas and capacity to change; and (d) interest in the meaning and motivation of own and others' behavior. Whereas the total PM score and Factors 2 and 3 had negative correlations with depression, there was a positive correlation between Factor 4 and depression. The 4‐factor structure of the scale is deemed to be applicable to the Japanese population.     

PMS as a Gendered Illness Linked to the Construction and Relational Experience of Hetero-Femininity

The majority of research conducted to date on premenstrual distress has focused on heterosexual women. Drawing on research with lesbian and heterosexual self-defined PMS (premenstrual syndrome) sufferers and their partners, we argue that this negates the role played by hetero-patriarchal constructions of both femininity and premenstrual change in the lived experience of premenstrual distress. Negative constructions of PMS and over-responsibility within the home, commonly found in heterosexual relationships, exacerbate distress and result in women being pathologised premenstrually. Conversely, support and understanding offered by partners, more common in lesbian relationships, reduces guilt and self-pathologisation, allowing women to engage in coping strategies premenstrually, such as taking time out to be alone, or engage self-care. These patterns of relational negotiation of women’s premenstrual change can be contextualised within broader cultural representations of hetero-normativity, which provide the context for gendered roles and coping.     

Velo-cardio-facial syndrome: a distinctive behavioral phenotype

Velo-cardio-facial syndrome (VCFS) is the most common contiguous gene disorder and one of the most common multiple anomaly syndromes in humans. Over 180 anomalies have been delineated in the syndrome; the most common of which are the behavioral manifestations. Learning disabilities, psychiatric illness, attention deficit disorder, and a variety of developmental disorders are nearly ubiquitous findings in VCFS and are not mutually exclusive, often overlapping to create a distinctive yet confusing phenotypic picture. In addition, standard treatments for each of these separate clinical findings may not be effective, and may even be potentially harmful in individuals with VCFS, such as the use of stimulants for hyperactivity. VCFS is caused by a small deletion of DNA from the long arm of chromosome 22. Researchers are currently studying the deletion located at 22q11.2 because of the possibility that a firm genetic link to psychiatric illness and learning disorders may be found. This report describes the behavioral manifestations of VCFS, emphasizing the overlap between the cognitive and psychiatric disorders that are so common in this syndrome. MRDD Research Reviews 2000;6:142-147.     

A PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM: RESEARCH,DESIGN, INTRODUCTION AND EVALUATION1

The purpose of this paper is to describe and analyze a unique and innovative appraisal and development system. The Performance Management System (PMS) is the formal vehicle used by Corning Glass Works managers to measure and improve the performance and potential for advancement of approximately 3,000 managerial and professional employees. The current design of PMS is the result of several years of research and development work by staff psychologists and personnel specialists at Corning along with applied psychological research conducted in other organizations. PMS is distinguished from most appraisal systems by the following characteristics: (1) Its emphasis on both psychometric accuracy and practical utility; (2) Its emphasis on development as opposed to evaluation; (3) Its use of ipsative measurement; (4) Its integration of results with behavior centered appraisal. This paper is comprised of an introduction, reports on the initial research, the design and introduction, the evaluation and revision of PMS, and an overall summary. The strategies, results, and problems encountered at each phase of PMS development will be described and analyzed.     

The Interface Between Sartre’s Theory of Emotions and Depersonalization/Derealization

Human beings are emotional beings and emotions are one’s way of relating to the world. Sartre’s Emotions, An Outline of a Theory lies on the borderline between psychology and philosophy. In this paper I will attempt to present the interface of Sartre’s philosophical theory of emotions with the signs and symptoms of depersonalization/derealization syndrome as presented in the psychiatric/psychological literature. I will begin by concisely situating Sartre’s concept of emotions within the Sartrean doctrine of existentialism, and follow with a brief summary of Bernard Frechtman’s translation of Sartre’s “The Emotions, An Outline of a Theory”. I will focus on the Introduction and Chapter Three, where Sartre presents the findings of his phenomenological study that purport to reveal the “essence” of emotions. Next, I will introduce the diagnostic components of the depersonalization/derealization syndrome which is a subcategory of dissociative disorders as defined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition (2013) as well as criteria of International Classification of Diseases—10th edition (1992) and highlight the similarities with Sartre’s characterization of emotional behavior. Finally, I will attempt a brief comparison between Sartre’s theory of emotions and depersonalization/derealization syndrome using literary and philosophical critiques of Sartre’s “Emotions” and theoretical as well as research papers from the psychiatric literature. The focus will be on the similarities and incongruities between Sartre’s characterization of emotions and psychiatric diagnoses of depersonalization/derealization syndrome.     

Cognitive-Behavioral and Pharmacological Interventions for Premenstrual Syndrome or Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder: A Meta-Analysis

The current meta-analysis investigates the efficacy of psychotherapeutic interventions and psychopharmacotherapy for premenstrual syndrome (PMS) and premenstrual dysphoric disorder. Based on a multiple-phase literature search, controlled trials were selected according to a priori defined inclusion criteria. Data were extracted on the basis of a standardized coding scheme. The standardized weighted mean difference (random effects model) was used as effect size index. Dependent on outcome, 22 included studies obtained small to medium effect sizes for cognitive-behavioral interventions (range: d (+)?=?0.24-0.70) and for serotonergic antidepressants (range: d (+)?=?0.29-0.58), at post-assessment. Follow-ups were performed only in studies of cognitive-behavioral interventions (range: d (+)?=?0.46-0.74). There was no evidence of a publication bias. For both cognitive-behavioral interventions and serotonergic antidepressants, efficacy in treatment of PMS was found to not be satisfactory. Future research should possibly focus more on a combination of both approaches.