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Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction as a Promising Intervention for Amelioration of Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder Symptoms

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Abstract

Menstrually related mood disorders (MRMDs) are characterized by the cyclic recurrence of affective and somatic symptoms in the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle that result in substantial impairment. Despite the efficacy of SSRIs and a low-dose oral contraceptive, non-response rates are ≥40 %, and the need for a behavioral intervention in this population is warranted. This pilot study was conducted to determine the feasibility and acceptability of an 8-week mindfulness-based intervention for women with a MRMD. Self-report measures assessing pain catastrophizing, mindfulness, depression, anxiety, rumination, and self-compassion were completed before and after the intervention as were laboratory measures of pain sensitivity to a cold pressor and tourniquet procedure and cardiovascular responses to a mental stressor. In addition, premenstrual symptom severity ratings for 11 MRMD symptoms were assessed prospectively. Results indicated that, relative to pre-intervention levels, there was a significant decrease in symptom severity for seven of the 11 premenstrual symptoms, an increase in pain tolerance to the cold pressor, and a decrease in blood pressure reactivity to mental stress. The use of a historical control group supports that the effects for symptoms and pain sensitivity could not be accounted for by habituation to repeat testing. Further, 88 % of participants completed the study and all post-intervention measures, and all women reported that they used the stress reduction skills in the post-lab and in their daily lives. Mindfulness training provides a feasible, well-tolerated behavioral intervention that should be tested for efficacy in a larger randomized trial in women with a MRMD.

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Acknowledgments

Funding was provided in part by grant number T32AT003378-04 from the National Center on Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) and grant number R01 MH099076 from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Analyses and conclusions are the responsibility of the authors rather than the funders.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Program on Integrative Medicine, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina—Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA

    Karen Bluth & Susan Gaylord

  2. Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina—Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA

    Khanh Nguyen & Susan Girdler

  3. Laboratory of Clinical Research, Institute of Neurosciences, Lithuanian University of Health Science, Kaunas, Lithuania

    Adomas Bunevicius

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  1. Karen Bluth
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  2. Susan Gaylord
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  3. Khanh Nguyen
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  4. Adomas Bunevicius
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  5. Susan Girdler
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Correspondence to Karen Bluth.

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Bluth, K., Gaylord, S., Nguyen, K. et al. Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction as a Promising Intervention for Amelioration of Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder Symptoms. Mindfulness 6, 1292–1302 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-015-0397-4

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