PMS as a process of negotiation: Women's experience and management of premenstrual distress

Psychology and Health

Volumn 28, Issue 8, 2013, Pages 909-927

  Ussher, Jane M ^a   Perz, Janette ^a  

^a UNIVERSITY OF WESTERN SYDNEY   (Australia)

Author keywords

coping; PMS; premenstrual change; psychological distress; qualitative research; self regulation

Indexed keywords

ADAPTIVE BEHAVIOR; ADULT; ARTICLE; AUSTRALIA; FEMALE; HUMAN; INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION; MENTAL STRESS; MIDDLE AGED; PREMENSTRUAL SYNDROME; PSYCHOLOGICAL ASPECT; QUALITATIVE RESEARCH; SOCIAL CONTROL;

ADAPTATION, PSYCHOLOGICAL; ADULT; AUSTRALIA; FEMALE; HUMANS; MIDDLE AGED; NEGOTIATING; PREMENSTRUAL SYNDROME; QUALITATIVE RESEARCH; SOCIAL CONTROL, INFORMAL; STRESS, PSYCHOLOGICAL; YOUNG ADULT;

EID: 84880595668     PISSN: 08870446     EISSN: 14768321     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1080/08870446.2013.765004     Document Type: Article

References (76)

1. Aspinwall, L. G. and Taylor, S. E. 1997. A stitch in time: Self-regulation and proactive coping. Psychological Bulletin, 121: 417 - 436.
2. Bancroft, J. 1993. The premenstrual syndrome: A reappraisal of the concept and the evidence. Psychological Medicine, 24: 1 - 47.
3. Bassin, D., Honey, M. and Kaplan, M. M. 1994. Representations of motherhood, New Haven, CT: Yale University Press.
4. Bhaskar, R. 1989. Reclaiming reality: A critical introduction to contemporary philosophy, London: Verso.
5. Blake, F. 1995. Cognitive therapy for premenstrual syndrome. Cognitive and Behavioral Practice, 2: 167 - 185.
6. Blake, F., Salkovskis, P., Gath, D., Day, A. and Garrod, A. 1998. Cognitive therapy for premenstrual syndrome: A controlled trial. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 45: 307 - 318.
7. Bordo, S. 1993. Unbearable weight: Feminism, culture and the body, Berkeley, CA: University of California Press.
8. Braun, V. and Clarke, V. 2006. Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3: 77 - 101.
9. Breznitz, S. 1983. " Anticipatory stress and denial ". In The denial of stress, Edited by: Breznitz, S. 225 - 255. New York, NY: International Universities Press.
10. Brooks, J., Ruble, D. N., & Clarke, A. (1977). College women's attitudes and expectations concerning menstrual-related change. Psychosomatic Medicine, 39, 288-298. Retrieved from http://www.psychosomaticmedicine.org/cgi/reprint/39/5/288.pdf
11. Busse, J. W., Montori, V. M., Krasnik, C., Patelis-Siotis, I. and Guyatt, G. H. 2009. Psychological intervention for premenstrual syndrome: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, 78: 6 - 15.
12. Bussell, G. 1998. Pre-menstrual syndrome and diet. Journal of Nutritional & Environmental Medicine, 8: 65 - 75.
13. Butler, J. P. 1990. Gender trouble: Feminism and the subversion of identity, New York, NY: Routledge.
14. Chang, A. M., Holroyd, E. and Chau, J. P. 1995. Premenstrual syndrome in employed Chinese women in Hong Kong. Health Care for Women International, 16: 551 - 561.
15. Chrisler, J. C. 2004. " PMS as a culture-bound syndrome ". In Lectures on the psychology of women, 3rd ed., Edited by: Chrisler, J. C., Golden, C. and Rozee, P. D. 110 - 127. Boston, MA: McGraw Hill.
16. Chrisler, J. C. 2008. 2007 presidential address: Fear of losing control: Power, perfectionism and the psychology of women. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 32: 1 - 12.
17. Chrisler, J. C., & Caplan, P. (2002). The strange case of Dr. Jekyll and Ms. Hyde: How PMS became a cultural phenomenon and a psychiatric disorder. Annual Review of Sex Research, 13, 274-306. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12836734
18. Chrisler, J. C., Johnston, I. K., Champagne, N. M. and Preston, K. E. 1994. Menstrual joy: The construct and its consequences. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 18: 375 - 387.
19. Chrisler, J. C. and Johnston-Robledo, I. 2002. " Raging hormones?: Feminist perspectives on premenstrual syndrome and postpartum depression ". In Rethinking mental health and disorder: Feminist perspectives, Edited by: Ballou, M. and Brown, L. S. 174 - 197. New York, NY: Guilford Press.
20. Clayton, A. H., Clavet, G. J., McGarvey, E. L., Warnock, J. K. and Weiss, K. 1999. Assessment of sexual functioning during the menstrual cycle. Journal of Sex and Marital Therapy, 25: 281 - 291.
21. Connolly, C. M. 2005. A qualitative exploration of resilience in long-term lesbian couples. The Family Journal: Counseling and Therapy for Couples and Families, 13: 266 - 280.
22. Cosgrove, L. 2000. Crying out loud: Understanding women's emotional distress as both lived experience and social construction. Feminism and Psychology, 10: 247 - 267.
23. Cosgrove, L. and Riddle, B. 2003. Constructions of femininity and experiences of menstrual distress. Women & Health, 38: 37 - 58.
24. Dalton, K. 1977. The premenstrual syndrome and progesterone therapy, London: William Heineman Medical Books.
25. Elson, J. 2002. Menarche, menstruation, and gender identity: Retrospective accounts from women who have undergone premenopausal hysterectomy. Sex Roles, 46: 37 - 48.
26. Epstein, M. 1995. Thoughts without a thinker: Psychotherapy from a Buddhist perspective, New York, NY: Basic Books.
27. Figert, A. E. (2005). Premenstrual syndrome as scientific and cultural artifact. Integrative Physiological and Behavioral Science, 40, 102-113.
28. Finkel, E. J. and Fitzsimons, G. M. 2011. " The effects of social relationships on self-regulation ". In Handbook of self-regulation: Research, theory, and applications, 2nd ed., Edited by: Vohs, K. D. and Baumeister, R. F. 390 - 406. New York, NY: Guilford Press.
29. Fiske, S. T. and Taylor, S. E. 1991. Social cognition, 2nd ed., New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.
30. Folkman, S. and Lazarus, R. S. 1985. If it changes it must be a process: Study of emotion and coping during three stages of a college examination. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 48: 150 - 170.
31. Folkman, S., Lazarus, R. S., Dunkel-Schetter, C., DeLongis, A. and Gruen, R. J. 1986. Dynamics of a stressful encounter: Cognitive appraisal, coping, and encounter outcomes. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 50: 992 - 1003.
32. Forssen, A. S. K. and Carlstedt, G. 2006. 'It's heavenly to be alone!' A room of one's own as a health promoting resource for women. Results from a qualitative study. Scandinavian Journal of Public Health, 34: 175 - 181.
33. Frank, C. E. 1995. Conjoint treatment: Impact on married couples with and without PMS. Dissertation Abstracts International Section A: Humanities and Social Sciences, 55: 2588 - 2589.
34. Halbreich, U., Borenstein, J., Pearlstein, T. and Kahn, L. S. 2003. The prevalence, impairment, impact, and burden of premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMS/PMDD). Psychoneuroendocrinology, 28: 1 - 23.
35. Hamilton, J. A. and Gallant, S. 1990. Problematic aspects of diagnosing premenstrual phase dysphoria: Recommendations for psychological research and practice. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 21: 60 - 68.
36. Hoerster, K. D., Chrisler, J. C. and Gorman Rose, J. 2003. Attitudes toward and experience with menstruation in the US and India. Women and Health, 38: 77 - 95.
37. Hunter, M. S., Ussher, J. M., Cariss, M., Browne, S., Jelley, R. and Katz, M. 2002. Medical (fluoxetine) and psychological (cognitive-behavioural therapy) treatment for premenstrual dysphoric disorder: A study of treatment processes. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 53: 811 - 817.
38. Jack, D. C. 1991. Silencing the self: Women and depression, Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
39. Jack, D. C. 2001. Understanding women's anger: A description of relational patterns. Health Care for Women International, 22: 385 - 400.
40. Jeffreys, S. 2005. Beauty and misogyny: Harmful cultural practices in the West, London: Routledge.
41. Jones, A., Theodos, V., Canar, W. J., Sher, T. G. and Young, M. 2000. " Couples and premenstrual syndrome: Partners as moderators of symptoms? ". In The psychology of couples and illness: Theory, research, & practice, Edited by: Schmaling, K. B. 217 - 239. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
42. King, M., & Ussher, J. M. (2012). It's not all bad: Women's construction and lived experience of positive premenstrual change. Feminism and Psychology. Published online March 22, 2012. doi:10.1177/0959353512440351
43. Kirkby, R. J. 1994. Changes in premenstrual symptoms and irrational thinking following cognitive-behavioral coping skills training. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 62: 1026 - 1032.
44. Kirkpatrick, M. K., Brewer, J. A. and Stocks, B. 1990. Efficacy of self-care measures for permenstrual syndrome (PMS). Journal of Advanced Nursing, 15: 281 - 285.
45. Kuczmierczyk, A. R., Johnson, C. C. and Labrum, A. H. 1994. Coping styles in women with premenstrual syndrome. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, 89: 301 - 305.
46. Lazarus, R. S. 1990. " Stress, coping, and illness ". In Personality and disease, Edited by: Friedman, H. S. 97 - 120. Oxford: John Wiley & Sons.
47. Mencher, J. 1990. " Intimacy in lesbian relationships: A critical re-examination of fusion ". In Women's growth in diversity: More writings from the Stone Center, Edited by: Jordan, J. V. New York, NY: The Guilford Press.
48. Mitchell, L. L. and Mitchell, C. W. 1998. Effects of premenstrual syndrome on coping style. Psychology: A Journal of Human Behavior, 35: 2 - 10.
49. Morse, C. A., Dennerstein, L., Farrell, E. and Varnavides, K. 1991. A comparison of hormone therapy, coping skills training, and relaxation for the relief of premenstrual syndrome. Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 14: 469 - 489.
50. Morse, G. 1999. Positively reframing perceptions of the menstrual cycle among women with premenstrual syndrome. Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic, & Neonatal Nursing, 28: 165 - 174.
51. O'Grady, H. 2005. Women's relationship with herself: Gender, Foucault, therapy, London: Routledge.
52. Parlee, M. B. 1994. " The social construction of premenstrual syndrome: A case study of scientific discourse as cultural contestation ". In The good body: Asceticism in contemporary culture, Edited by: Winkler, M. G. 91 - 107. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press.
53. Perz, J. and Ussher, J. M. 2006. Women's experience of premenstrual change: A case of silencing the self. Journal of Reproductive and Infant Psychology, 24: 289 - 303.
54. Pilver, C. E., Kasl, S., Desai, R. and Levy, B. R. 2011. Exposure to American culture is associated with premenstrual dysphoric disorder among ethnic minority women. Journal of Affective Disorders, 130: 334 - 341.
55. Rodin, M. 1992. The social construction of premenstrual syndrome. Social Science and Medicine, 35: 49 - 56.
56. Sabin Farrell, R. and Slade, P. 1999. Reconceptualizing pre-menstrual emotional symptoms as phasic differential responsiveness to stressors. Journal of Reproductive and Infant Psychology, 17: 381 - 390.
57. Slade, P. and Jenner, F. A. 1980. Performance tests in different phases of the menstrual cycle. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 24: 5 - 8.
58. Steiner, M. and Born, L. 2000. Advances in the diagnosis and treatment of premenstrual dysphoria. CNS Drugs, 13: 287 - 304.
59. Ussher, J. M. 1996. Premenstrual syndrome: Reconciling disciplinary divides through the adoption of a material-discursive epistemological standpoint. Annual Review of Sex Research, 7: 218 - 251.
60. Ussher, J. M. 1999. " Premenstrual syndrome: Reconciling disciplinary divides through the adoption of a material-discursive-intrapsychic approach ". In Advances in Women and Health Research, Edited by: Kolk, A., Bekker, M. and Van Vliet, K. 47 - 64. Amsterdam: Tilberg University Press.
61. Ussher, J. M. 2002. Processes of appraisal and coping in the development and maintenance of premenstrual dysphoric disorder. Journal of Community and Applied Social Psychology, 12: 1 - 14.
62. Ussher, J. M. 2003a. The ongoing silencing of women in families: An analysis and rethinking of premenstrual syndrome and therapy. Journal of Family Therapy, 25: 388 - 405.
63. Ussher, J. M. 2003b. The role of premenstrual dysphoric disorder in the subjectification of women. Journal of Medical Humanities, 24: 131 - 146.
64. Ussher, J. M. 2004. Premenstrual syndrome and self-policing: Ruptures in self-silencing leading to increased self-surveillance and blaming of the body. Social Theory & Health, 2: 254 - 272.
65. Ussher, J. M. 2006. Managing the monstrous feminine: Regulating the reproductive body, London: Routledge.
66. Ussher, J. M. 2010. Are we medicalizing women's misery? A critical review of women's higher rates of reported depression. Feminism and Psychology, 20: 9 - 35.
67. Ussher, J. M. 2011. The Madness of Women: Myth and experience, London: Routledge.
68. Ussher, J. M., Hunter, M. and Cariss, M. 2002. A woman-centred psychological intervention for premenstrual symptoms, drawing on cognitive-behavioural and narrative therapy. Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy, 9: 319 - 331.
69. Ussher, J. M. and Perz, J. 2008. Empathy, egalitarianism and emotion work in the relational negotiation of PMS: The experience of lesbian couples. Feminism and Psychology, 18: 87 - 111.
70. Ussher, J. M. and Perz, J. 2010. " Disruption of the silenced-self: The case of pre-menstrual syndrome ". In The depression epidemic: International perspectives on women's self-silencing and psychological distress, Edited by: Jack, D. C. and Ali, A. 435 - 458. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
71. Ussher, J. M. and Perz, J. 2013. PMS as a gendered illness linked to the construction and relational experience of hetero-femininity. Sex Roles, 68 (1-2): 132 - 150.
72. Ussher, J. M., Perz, J. and Mooney-Somers, J. 2007. The experience and positioning of affect in the context of intersubjectivity: The case of premenstrual syndrome. Critical Psychology: International Journal of Critical Psychology, 21: 144 - 165.
73. Ussher, J. M. and Wilding, J. M. 1991. Performance and state changes during the menstrual cycle, conceptualised within a broad band testing framework. Social Science & Medicine, 32: 525 - 534.
74. Ussher, J. M. and Wilding, J. M. 1992. Interactions between stress and performance during the menstrual cycle in relation to the premenstrual syndrome. Journal of Reproductive and Infant Psychology, 10: 83 - 101.
75. Woolf, V. 1957. A room of one's own, New York, NY: Harcourt, Brace and World.
76. Yu, M., Zhu, X., Li, J., Oakley, D. and Reame, N. E. 1996. Premenstrual symptoms among Chinese women in an urban area of China. Health Care for Women International, 17: 161 - 172.