Kontakt 2024, 26(4):376-382 | DOI: 10.32725/kont.2024.043

The influence of dysmenorrhea on women's emotions and experiencesSocial Sciences in Health - Original article

Kateřina Staňková¹, Alena Hricová^{1, *}, Tomáš Mrhálek²

¹ University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, Faculty of Health and Social Sciences, Institute of Social and Special-paedagogical Sciences, České Budějovice, Czech Republic

² University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, Faculty of Education, České Budějovice, Czech Republic

This article aims to provide a comprehensive description of the multifaceted influence of dysmenorrhea on women's emotional states and their overall lives, with a focus on both immediate and long-term effects. Immediate impacts include changes in mood and self-perception during menstruation. Changes in self-esteem and identity are among the long-term effects. The research employed a qualitative design involving in-depth interviews with 18 women who have experienced years of painful menstruation. Data were analysed using a combination of thematic analysis (TA) and interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA), providing a robust framework to understand the nuanced experiences of the participants. Our findings revealed that dysmenorrhea significantly affects emotional states, leading to symptoms of depression and anxiety, heightened emotional reactivity during menstrual periods, and negative effects on self-perception and body image. These emotional disturbances are not only limited to the duration of menstruation but extend beyond this, influencing women's daily lives, relationships, and overall mental health. The study highlights how dysmenorrhea can exacerbate feelings of vulnerability, emotional instability, and social withdrawal, contributing to a persistent negative self-image and compromised self-esteem. Moreover, the chronic nature of dysmenorrhea has been linked to deeper psychological impacts, including a diminished sense of self-efficacy and identity disruption. Women report a pervasive sense of loss of control over their bodies, leading to feelings of helplessness and frustration. These experiences underscore the importance of addressing both the physical and psychological aspects of dysmenorrhea in medical and psychological interventions

Keywords: Anxiety symptoms; Body image; Depressive symptoms; Dysmenorrhea; Emotions

Conflicts of interest:

The authors have no conflict of interest to declare.

Received: May 21, 2024; Revised: August 24, 2024; Accepted: September 13, 2024; Prepublished online: September 13, 2024; Published: December 17, 2024  Show citation