Rumination, Emotion Regulation, and Menstrual Experience: Cognitive-Emotional Pathways among Late Adolescents and Young Adults

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.23495554

Kishore M Nair and Soumya Starlet C T (Department of Psychology, Prajyoti Niketan College, Pudukad, University of Calicut, Kozhikode, Kerala)

Menstruation is a natural topic, stays as a crucial discussion in today’s world regarding the excess use of medications and the individual differences in the cognitive-emotional cycles women go through during their varied menstrual cycles. Rumination and self-reflection which can follow re-evaluation of the condition as well as emotional suppression or outburst are part of this cycle can even bring severe PMS and PMDD is great burden for women that cause social and work impairment (Poromaa & Gingnell, 2013). The study investigates the differences in the use of different sides of cognitive-emotional pathways, paving to varied menstrual impact or experiences among late adolescents and young adults. The sample for this study consists of 371 female participants (110 late adolescents & 261 young adults). Data were collected using the Rumination-Reflection Questionnaire (RRQ) (Trapnell & Campbell, 1999), Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (ERQ) (Gross & John, 2003) and Menstrual Impact Scale (MIS) (Kakasci & Potur, 2022). The research design adopted in the study is the cross-sectional quantitative study focusing on correlational research which encompasses descriptive statistics for age-group comparison. The analysis of the data includes the use of various statistical tools, including descriptive statistical measures such as mean, standard deviation, correlation analysis and independent sample t-test. The results reveal a significant weak negative relationship as well as weak-positive relationship among rumination (r=0.167, p=.001), emotion regulation (r=-0.142; p=.006, r=-0.152; p=.003) and menstrual impact with significant age-based mean differences in menstrual impact and rumination only.