Cognitive therapy for premenstrual syndrome: a controlled trial

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry
• Psychology
• Women's Health

Background:

• Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) causes significant emotional and physical distress.
• Effective psychological interventions for PMS are needed.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of cognitive therapy (CT) for premenstrual syndrome (PMS).
• To compare CT efficacy against a waitlist control group.

Main Methods:

• Randomized controlled trial comparing 12 weekly CT sessions to a waitlist.
• Participants met PMS criteria verified by 2 months of prospective diary recording.
• Assessments of psychological and social functioning were conducted at baseline, 2 months, and post-treatment.

Main Results:

• Cognitive therapy (CT) was significantly more effective than the waitlist control.
• Diary measures and self-report questionnaires showed near-complete remission of psychological and somatic symptoms.
• Significant improvements were observed in overall functioning.

Conclusions:

• Cognitive therapy (CT) provides substantial improvements for premenstrual syndrome (PMS).
• Observed benefits are attributable to CT and not spontaneous remission or assessment effects.