Pain catastrophizing, but not mental health or social support, is associated with menstrual pain severity in women with dysmenorrhea: A cross-sectional survey

Subhadra Evans, Charlotte Dowding, Lisa Olive, Laura A Payne, Marilla Druitt, Laura C Seidman, David Skvarc, Antonina Mikocka‐Walus
Psychology, health & medicine · 2021 · vol. 27(6) , pp. 1410–1420 · doi:10.1080/13548506.2021.1948581 · PMID:34190659 · W3175080109
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⚙ AI-generated summary by claude@2026-06, 2026-06-10 ⓘ

This cross-sectional survey of 1192 women found that pain catastrophizing, particularly helplessness, predicted menstrual pain severity in both primary dysmenorrhea and endometriosis, while mental health and social support did not.

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Abstract

The aim of this study was to understand the relationship between psychosocial factors, including mental health, pain cognitions and social support associated with menstrual pain severity in women with dysmenorrhea of no identified medical cause (primary dysmenorrhea; PD) and dysmenorrhea related to endometriosis. Participants included 1192 women aged 18-50 years with menstrual pain, recruited to an online cross-sectional survey in 2019. Questionnaires assessed self-reported menstrual pain severity, depression, anxiety, stress, pain catastrophizing, and social support. Women with endometriosis had significantly higher menstrual pain severity (p < 0.001) and pain catastrophizing (p < 0.001) than women with PD. Of the psychosocial factors, only pain catastrophizing (specifically, the helplessness sub-scale) predicted menstrual pain severity in each group. Overall, 36% of women with PD and 58% with endometriosis had clinically relevant levels of pain catastrophizing. Findings suggest a common psychological mechanism in women with menstrual pain, regardless of etiology. Interventions to reduce pain helplessness may be beneficial in supporting women with dysmenorrhea.

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Condition tags

dysmenorrheaendometriosis

MeSH descriptors

Dysmenorrhea Dysmenorrhea Dysmenorrhea Endometriosis Catastrophization Catastrophization Cross-Sectional Studies Female Humans Mental Health Social Support Surveys and Questionnaires

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