Psychological Correlates of PMS: Predictive Role of Stress and Anxiety

Description

Page: 50-53

Anita Sharma and Samriti Thakur (Department of Psychology, H.P.U. Shimla, Himachal Pradesh)

The present study aimed to explore the psychological correlates of premenstrual syndrome in menarcheal females of rural and urban schools of Shimla, Himachal Pradesh (120 rural & 120 urban). The present paper takes into account two psychological correlates which are adolescent stress and trait anxiety and efforts are made to find out the predictive role of these psychological traits in premenstrual syndrome in females. In the rural sample, adolescent stress has significantly and positively contributed 35% of the variance in dysphoria, 23% of the variance in somatic distress and 27% of the variance in cognitive problems (sub-dimensions of PMS) and trait-anxiety has significantly and positively contributed 7% of the variance in dysphoria, 8% of the variance in somatic distress and 7% of the variance in cognitive problem. In the urban sample, adolescent stress has significantly and positively contributed total 10% of the variance in dysphoria, 12% of the variance in somatic distress and 18% of the variance in cognitive problems and trait-anxiety has significantly and positively contributed total 4% of the variance in dysphoria, 12% of the variance in somatic distress and 9% of the variance in cognitive problem. The prevalence of PMS was found more in the rural sample than the urban sample.