Exploring the bio-psycho-social approach to premenstrual experiences

A bio-psycho-social approach to the premenstrual syndrome suggests that cyc lical hormonal changes are acknowledged and interpreted in light of the exp ectations and the attitudes acquired in the process of socialization. In th is study, attitudes toward menstruation and premenstrual experiences of 229 Israeli students of different ethnic groups and gender role orientations w ere explored. The findings were consistent with previous reports: attitudes toward menstruation and premenstrual experiences were associated with expo sure to premenstrual symptoms in women family members and negative messages during adolescence; respondents of a more traditional background perceived menstruation as relatively debilitating and bothersome but also a natural event and reported more severe experiences. However, models aimed at estima ting the causal relationship indicated that attitudes toward menstruation d epend on premenstrual experiences rather than predict them. The difficultie s of investigating such reciprocal relationships of menstrual attitudes and premenstrual experiences cross-culturally and longitudinally are discussed . (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.