Combined mind-body intervention for premenstrual dysphoric disorder: A randomized controlled trial

Abstract

In this study, we aimed to examine the effectiveness of relaxation training in women with PMDD through a randomized controlled design. Sixty-three women were recruited and randomized to relaxation training or control groups. The outcome measurements, administered at baseline and post-training, included the Premenstrual Symptoms Screening Tool (PSST), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), Nottingham Health Profile (NHP), and Sheehan Disability Scale (SDS). The intervention group received 12 sessions of relaxation training, including progressive muscle relaxation and guided imagination. While there were significant differences within the group in the relaxation training group, no significant differences were found in the control group. Relaxation training had a positive effect on reducing premenstrual symptoms, anxiety, depression and disability and improving quality of life in women with PMDD. More research is necessary to recommend relaxation training as a primary and long-term treatment and to understand how it should be included in a comprehensive treatment plan.

Authors’ contributions

Hatice Abaoğlu: Conceived and designed the analysis, contributed data and analysis tools, wrote the paper. Huri Şeyma Çiftçi: Collected the data, contributed to the design of methodology. Gamze Ekici: Initiated and designed the research, contributed the interpretation of the data.

Disclosure statement

The authors hereby declare that this manuscript is entirely original work and have no conflict of interest. The study was performed following the ethical codes of the World Medical Association (Declaration of Helsinki) and was approved by the noninterventional Clinical Researches Ethics Board of Hacettepe University (no: GO 18/1086). All participants gave written informed consent.

Additional information

Funding

This research received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.