Anger and locus of control in young women with and without premenstrual syndrome

The purpose of this study was to examine differences in locus of control and anger in college women with and without premenstrual syndrome (PMS). One hundred thirty-seven female undergraduates completed a biographical questionnaire, the Rotter Internal-External Locus of Control (I-E) Scale, the Spielberger State Trait Anger Scale (STAS), the Framingham Anger Scale (FAS), and a women's health questionnaire. After 65 women who had had children or used hormonally based contraceptives or psychotropic medications were excluded, the remaining subjects were placed into a PMS (n = 48) or a non-PMS group (n = 24) according to whether they met DSM-IV criteria for Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD). After debriefing the sample, the women were asked if they believed they had PMS. Results of the study showed no significant differences between groups in locus of control or anger. Out of the 72 subjects in the final analysis, 64 (89%) believed they had PMS, and only 8 (or 11%) believed they did not. Self-diagnosis was not always correct; 16 (22%) of the women who believed they had PMS did not meet the DSM-IV criteria for the disorder. The DSM-IV criteria may need further refinement and validation.