The efficacy of hypnotherapy on pain and distress in premenstrual dysphoric disorder: A randomized clinical trial

BACKGROUND: Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) is a health difficulty that is similar to premenstrual syndrome (PMS) but is more serious. Many women with PMDD may also feel anxious or depressed; bloating, breast tenderness, headaches, and joint or muscle pain are some of the prevalent symptoms suffered by women with PMDD. METHODS: The present research was a randomized controlled trial (RCT). The participants were randomly selected from female students at Shahed University, Tehran, Iran, and were then divided into two groups. Each group encompassed 30 women aged 20 to 35 who were diagnosed with PMDD using the Premenstrual Symptoms Screening Tool (PSST) between December 2019 and May 2020. In this study, one group received hypnotherapy, and the other group received no intervention. RESULTS: The analysis showed significant differences between experimental and control groups. The efficacy of the procedure of hypnotherapy procedure in the experimental group was shown to be significant. CONCLUSION: The findings demonstrate that employing suggestions informed by cognitive flexibility and ego strength in hypnotherapy mitigates pain intensity and distress in women with PMDD.