Spirit Research

Self-kindness and mindfulness tied to easier premenstrual symptoms, Polish study finds

A kind attitude toward oneself paired with mindfulness can ease functioning problems tied to severe premenstrual symptoms, a study by psychologists at SWPS University and Jagiellonian University found, Medical Xpress reports. The work examined 228 participants aged 18 to 52, some of whom tracked their symptoms across two menstrual cycles.

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What the researchers measured#

Rachela Antosz-Rekucka, a psychologist at SWPS University's Institute of Psychology, and Katarzyna Prochwicz, a professor at Jagiellonian University, studied factors that might guard against severe premenstrual symptoms, looking at sense of coherence alongside mindfulness and self-compassion skills, and how those traits related to past trauma and perceived stress, according to Medical Xpress.

Antosz-Rekucka, who carried out the work as part of her doctoral research at Jagiellonian University, said certain psychological attitudes can noticeably lessen how much daily stress worsens premenstrual symptoms. She pointed to self-compassion, described as a kind attitude toward oneself and acceptance of difficult moments, as something that helps women get through demanding phases of the cycle even during intense nervous tension, Medical Xpress reports.

How self-compassion is defined#

Self-compassion, as defined by American psychologist Kristin Neff, has three parts: self-kindness rather than self-criticism, recognizing suffering as part of shared human experience, and mindfulness, holding negative emotions in balanced, non-judgmental awareness rather than suppressing or exaggerating them, according to Wikipedia. The study's focus on self-compassion and mindfulness skills draws on this same framework, Medical Xpress reports.

Mindfulness research beyond this study#

Other recent research has tested mindfulness in different clinical settings. A Heidelberg University trial found that adolescents who began psychotherapy sessions with a five- to 10-minute mindfulness exercise saw a bigger drop in psychological symptoms compared with those given no standardized session opener, Medical Xpress reports.

Separately, University of Southern California researchers have received up to $4 million from the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health to test whether an eight-week structured mindfulness program can prolong the antidepressant effects of psilocybin therapy in 80 adults with depression, according to News-Medical and Bioengineer.org.

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