Relationship between the NEO Personality Inventory Revised neuroticism scale and prospectively reported negative affect across the menstrual cycle

Previous research has suggested a possible link between neuroticism and pre menstrual symptom changes. Results, however, are difficult to interpret giv en methodological problems such as retrospective reporting of premenstrual symptoms, and failure to control for the generalized influence of neurotici sm, on psychosomatic symptomatology. The present study aimed to address the se issues. One hundred and nine women from the general population completed the. modif ied Menstrual Distress Questionnaire daily for 70 days. Neuroticism was ass essed using the NEO Personality Inventory Revised. Neuroticism accounted for a significant amount of variation in premenstrual negative affect both before and after controlling for baseline (follicular ) symptom levels. The relationship between neuroticism and premenstrual neg ative affect could not be linked to any particular facet of neuroticism (e. g. anxiety depression). Oral contraceptive (OC) users had significantly hig her levels of neuroticism than the non-oral contraceptive (NOC) group. A si gnificant interaction between OC use and menstrual cycle phase was also not ed, with a trend toward OC users experiencing less premenstrual, but more m enstrual, negative affect compared with the NOC group. The results are discussed in terms of the contribution of personality facto rs to the etiology of premenstrual change, and the utility of cognitive-beh avioral treatment approaches.