Relationships among Perceived Stress, Premenstrual Symptomatology and Spiritual Well-Being in Women

Research demonstrates that psychological and physiological outcomes are impacted positively by spirituality. Yet, spirituality may also exacerbate the impact of stressors. In order to assess the relationships among spirituality, premenstrual symptomology (PMS) and stress in women, we performed the following survey of 145 females. Participants completed a measure of PMS symptoms, perceived stress and spiritual well-being. Our findings indicated that increases in spiritual well-being were positively related to PMS and stress endorsement. Furthermore, spiritual well-being served as a partial mediator between stress and PMS. As women who scored the highest on spirituality measures also had the highest PMS endorsement, women of Christian faith may benefit from heightened self-care practices surrounding stress management.