The association between premenstrual dysphoric disorder and internet use disorder

Perspectives of Dutch women on premenstrual disorder. A qualitative study exploring women's experiences

BACKGROUND

Women presenting with Premenstrual Disorder (PMD) to general practitioners (GPs) experience problems with their biopsychosocial functioning. PMD is a disorder consisting of physical and/or mood-based symptoms cyclically occurring with a significant impairment of daily life. Little is known about the symptoms and coping strategies of women with PMD and their experiences with their GPs.

OBJECTIVES

This present study aimed to improve understanding of the perspectives of women with PMD, their coping strategies and their expectations of the GP.

DESIGN

Qualitative study with semi-structured interviews.

SETTING

In 2017, Dutch women with symptoms of premenstrual disorder were recruited through local newspapers in the town of Nijmegen and the North-Holland region and via social media. After checking the inclusion and exclusion criteria, we interviewed 20 women (between 27 and 49 years of age). The interviews took place at a location of the interviewees' preference.

RESULTS

PMD symptoms can strongly influence the quality of women's lives. Three themes emerged from our analysis: feelings of having two separate female identities, PMD as a life-controlling condition and different coping strategies. Most women used an active coping strategy. Women with PMD need recognition from their GPs and knowledge of proper treatment.

CONCLUSION

PMD symptoms can have a high impact on daily life. Women with PMD expressed their need for acknowledgement and a personalised approach from their GP. Greater awareness and knowledge among GPs may be helpful in this.

Attention, response inhibition, impulsivity, and decision-making within luteal phase in women with premenstrual dysphoric disorder

Cognitive impairment is a key feature of depressive disorder. Various forms of cognitive function have yet to be investigated in women with premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) during early luteal (EL) and late luteal (LL) phases. Therefore, we evaluated response inhibition and attention in PMDD in these two phases. We also examined the associations between cognitive functions, impulsivity, decision-making style, and irritability. There is a total of 63 female participants with PMDD and 53 controls, as determined through psychiatric diagnostic interviewing and a weekly symptoms checklist. The participants completed a Go/No-go task, Dickman's impulsivity inventory, Preference for Intuition and Deliberation scale, and the Buss-Durkee Hostility Inventory: Chinese Version-Short Form at the EL and LL phases. The women with PMDD had poorer attention in the Go trials at the LL phase and poorer response inhibition in the No-go trials at the EL and LL phases. Repeated measures analysis of variance revealed an LL exacerbation of deficit in attention among PMDD group. In addition, impulsivity negatively correlated with response inhibition at the LL phase. Preference for deliberation correlated with attention at the LL phase. Women with PMDD experienced LL declined attention and impaired response inhibition across the luteal phase. Response inhibition is linked to impulsivity. The deficit in attention links preference for deliberation among women with PMDD. These results reveal the different courses in different domains of cognitive impairment in PMDD. Further studies are required to elucidate the mechanism underlying cognitive dysfunction in PMDD.

Leptin and ghrelin concentrations and eating behaviors during the early and late luteal phase in women with premenstrual dysphoric disorder

OBJECTIVES

In this study, we evaluated the changes in leptin and ghrelin concentrations, eating behavior, depression, and impulsivity and their correlations within the luteal phase among women with premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD).

METHODS

In 63 women with PMDD and 53 healthy controls, we prospectively evaluated serum levels of leptin and ghrelin, Body Mass Index(BMI), and self-reported sweet cravings, cognitive restraint, uncontrolled eating, emotional eating, depression, and impulsivity during the early luteal (EL) and late luteal (LL) phases.

RESULTS

Compared with the controls, the women with PMDD had higher BMI, higher leptin concentrations in the EL and LL phase, and leptin concentrations increased from the EL to the LL phase. However, there is no significant difference in ghrelin. Women with PMDD increased sweet cravings and uncontrolled eating from EL to LL phase. No significant correlation was observed between the EL-LL changes in leptin or ghrelin concentrations and those in eating behaviors. Both depression and impulsivity correlated with sweet craving and uncontrolled eating. Depression mediated the association between PMDD and uncontrolled eating. The BMI of women with PMDD positively correlated with their EL-LL change in leptin, and LL depression levels and emotional eating.

CONCLUSION

Young women with PMDD had higher leptin concentrations and BMI in the luteal phase. The LL leptin level was not the primary factor responsible for the increased uncontrolled eating of PMDD. Whether the increased eating and depression in the LL phase contribute to the risk of obesity or hyperleptinemia among women with PMDD need to be evaluated in the future.

How have excessive electronics devices and Internet uses been concerned? Implications for global research agenda from a bibliometric analysis

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Excessive use of electronic devices has become a major global problem. However, little is known about the development and current landscape of research concerning this field. This study aimed at exploring the overall publication trend and topics of research on the overuse of electronic devices and the Internet from 1971 to 2017.

METHODS

We systematically searched the Web of Science (WoS) and Scopus databases for published articles on the excessive use of electronic devices and the Internet. Data regarding the publication volume, international collaborations, and geographical locations were analyzed by bibliometrics analysis. Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) was undertaken to categorize publications into different research topics.

RESULTS

A total of 2,276 papers from the WOS and 600 papers from the Scopus were included. We found a dramatic increase in the number of scientific papers towards addiction to electronic devices and the Internet. The United State led in all publication parameters including the total number of papers and total citations. China, Korea and Taiwan were among the most prolific countries/regions. Smartphone addiction was the main concern, and the relationship between the overuse of electronic devices and the Internet and mental health issues have been highlighted. On the other hand, our study found a limited appearance of discussion on effective treatment and intervention.

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION

The findings of this study call for more national and international cooperation in evaluating and intervening addiction to electronic devices and the Internet to gather more knowledge about this phenomenon and evaluate the effectiveness of treatment.

Lifestyle Factors Associated with Premenstrual Syndrome: A Cross-sectional Study of Japanese High School Students

STUDY OBJECTIVE

To investigate the relationships between premenstrual syndrome (PMS) and lifestyle, sleep, and dietary habits among Japanese high school students.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional study.

SETTING

Two public high schools in Sendai, the largest city in northeastern Japan.

PARTICIPANTS

A school-based survey was conducted among 1818 female Japanese high school students in 2015, and 1022 students with regular menstrual cycles (25-38 days) completed the questionnaire.

INTERVENTIONS AND MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Relationships between PMS and lifestyle, sleep, and dietary habits.

RESULTS

The rates of moderate to severe PMS and premenstrual dysphoric disorder were 9.7% (99/1022) and 2.2% (22/1022), respectively. A total of 121 students (11.9%) were classified as having PMS-the PMS(+) group. Significant differences were observed between the PMS(+) group and those without PMS-the PMS(-) group-in age at menarche (P = .022), menstrual pain (P < .001), hypnagogic disorder (P < .001), long Internet use time (P < .001), eating breakfast (P = .018), chewing well (P = .037), and belonging to a sports club (P = .046). Multivariate analysis revealed that the risk factors for PMS were menstrual pain (odds ratio [OR], 4.74; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.83-7.95), hypnagogic disorder (OR, 2.22; 95% CI, 1.47-3.35), stress fracture (OR, 2.19; 95% CI, 1.21-3.98), and Internet use time (OR, 1.003; 95% CI, 1.001-1.005). Belonging to a sports club decreased the risk of PMS (OR, 0.57; 95% CI, 0.35-0.91).

CONCLUSION

Sleep, dietary habits, belonging to a sports club, and screen time affect PMS among high school students.