Menstrual pain intensity, coping, and disability: the role of pain catastrophizing

OBJECTIVE: Menstrual pain or primary dysmenorrhea has not received much attention in the field of pain research. Little is understood about the effects menstrual pain has on the women who experience it. No studies to date have examined the cognitive factors related to the perceived intensity and coping of menstrual pain. To investigate these areas further, this study examined the associations between pain catastrophizing and how women perceive and cope with menstrual pain. DESIGN: A prospective and retrospective between-subjects study. PARTICIPANTS: Ninety-three undergraduate women, with a regular menstrual period and no preexisting pain disorder (e.g., endometriosis) that affects menstrual pain, were classified into high or low pain catastrophizing groups. OUTCOME MEASURES: Participants completed several self-reported questionnaires assessing pain catastrophizing, menstrual pain intensity, coping, and disability. RESULTS: High pain catastrophizers, in comparison with low pain catastrophizers, reported greater menstrual pain intensities, greater affective menstrual pain intensity, greater variability in the use of pain coping strategies, lower perceived effectiveness of over-the-counter medications and nonmedical pain coping strategies, and greater disability. CONCLUSIONS: The results extend our knowledge about the associations between pain catastrophizing and menstrual pain, reemphasize that pain experience is best viewed as a multidimensional construct, and have implications for the management of menstrual pain.