The relationship between trauma, stress, and premenstrual symptoms: the role of attributional style and trait anger

ABSTRACT

Aims

The aim of this study was to examine potential mediators of the relationship between traumatic experiences, perceived stress, and the subjective, retrospectively measured, intensity of symptoms of premenstrual disorders. It was hypothesised that pessimistic attributional style and trait anger mediate the said relationship.

Methods

The study sample comprised 150 non-clinical subjects (aged 18–31; M = 21.82; SD = 2.19). Study variables were assessed with self-report questionnaires: the Premenstrual Symptoms Screening Tool (PSST); the Traumatic Experiences Checklist (TEC); the Perceived Stress Scale-4 Short Form (PSS-4); the Attributional Style Questionnaire (ASQ); and the State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory-2 (STAXI-2 – trait anger subscale). Correlation and mediation analyses were performed.

Results

The symptoms of premenstrual disorders were significantly and positively associated with both trait anger and pessimistic attributional style, as well as with trauma and stress. The correlations were moderate to strong, ranging from rho = 0.57 (pessimistic attributional style and trauma) to rho = 0.85 (stress and premenstrual symptoms). Both anger and pessimistic attributional style partially mediated the relationship between trauma and premenstrual symptoms and between stress and premenstrual symptoms.

Conclusion

Although the design of the study does not allow to infer causality, it demonstrates strong, positive relationship between the symptoms of premenstrual disorders, trauma, stress, attributional style, and anger. The results of mediation analyses may point to some practical implications (e.g. for psychotherapeutic interventions) but further studies employing prospective methods are needed.

KEYWORDS:

• Premenstrual disorders
• premenstrual dysphoric disorder
• premenstrual syndrome
• anger
• attributional style

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank Jakub Antosz-Rekucki, MA, for proofreading.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Ethical consideration

This study was approved by the Jagiellonian University Institute of Psychology Research Ethics Committee [KE/52_2022].

Author’s contributions

R.A.R. and K.P. designed the study. R.A.R. conducted the research, collected and analysed the data, and wrote the first version of the manuscript. K.P. revised the manuscript. R.A.R. and K.P. wrote the final version of the manuscript

Data availability statement

Data may be obtained after an email contact with the corresponding author.

Additional information

Funding

This research did not receive any funding.