The Relationship between Premenstrual Syndrome and Temperament and Character Dimensions: The Mediating Role of Difficulty in Emotion Regulation

Objective: Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) is among the most prevalent disorders experienced by women of reproductive age, and it can greatly interfere daily activities. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the relationship between PMS and temperament and character dimensions, with a focus on the mediating role of difficulty in emotion regulation. Methods: This research employed a descriptive correlational design and utilized path analysis. The statistical population consisted of all female students studying at Mohaghegh Ardabili University in the 2022-2023 academic year. A convenience sampling method was used to pick a sample of 300 individuals, from which 271 were diagnosed with PMS. Data collection tools included the Premenstrual Symptoms Screening Tool, the Temperament and Character Inventory, the Difficulty in Emotion Regulation Scale. The data were analyzed using path analysis in AMOS-24. Results: The results revealed that self-directedness, cooperativeness, mediated by difficulty in emotion regulation, had a significant negative indirect effect on PMS, while harm avoidance had a significant positive indirect effect. Conclusion: These findings suggest that lower levels of self-directedness, cooperativeness, along with higher levels of harm avoidance, can lead to PMS by disrupting emotion regulation. Paying attention to these dimensions, mechanisms can be effective in developing preventive, therapeutic interventions for PMS.