title: Cycle-phase changes in perceived stress in women with varying levels of premenstrual symptomatology.
abstract: Stress has been documented as a critical factor in understanding a variety of health problems. This study was designed to examine the relationships between symptom severity and perceived stress in women with varying severity levels of premenstrual symptoms. Perceived stress was evaluated before and after menstruation in 104 women. Women who had high levels of premenstrual symptomatology demonstrated significantly greater perceived stress in the premenstrual phase compared to the postmenstrual phase, while women with low levels of premenstrual symptomatology showed no cycle-phase difference.
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing, University of Washington, Seattle 98195.
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.forename: L L
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Lewis
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001294:Attitude to Health; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008597:Menstrual Cycle; D008875:Middle Aged; D011293:Premenstrual Syndrome / Q000145:classification / Q000523:psychology*; D012494:Sampling Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires