Background: Dysmenorrhea, affecting 43% to 90% of women of childbearing age worldwide, is the most prevalent gynaecological disorder. The study aimed to assess the psychological effects of dysmenorrhea and the coping mechanisms employed by nursing students at Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto. Materials and Methods: This study employed a descriptive, cross-sectional survey design. A well-structured and validated questionnaire was used to collect data from the participants. The questionnaire was distributed to 107 participants and retrieved within a week. Results: The findings imply that 51.4% of the respondents fall within the 21-25 age group. Similarly, 76.6% of the respondents have a symptom related to dysmenorrhea when asked. A higher percentage of respondents experienced moderate pain, as depicted, but 74.8% had never asked a doctor. Psychological disorders associated with dysmenorrhea: mood swings 85(79.4%), sleeping disturbances 65(60.8%), decreased concentration 64 (59.9%), irritability 67 (62.6%) and stress 77 (71.8%). It was found that dysmenorrhoea affects social activities, with the highest percentage being unable to follow up with friends and family (57.9%). Overall, 59.8% reported changing their social plans, while 45.8% have altogether avoided such situations. Specifically for management strategies, 51.4% of the respondents did not get any benefit from exercises, and 64.6% got benefit from relaxation therapy. Two-thirds (66.4%) of recruited patients reported that they found herbal remedies and dietary restrictions ineffective, while three-fifths (62.6%) claimed counselling was unhelpful. Conclusion: Dysmenorrhea is a largely unrecognised and undertreated condition with considerable psychological consequences. Keywords: psychological effect, prevalence, cope, dysmenorrhea
Muhammed et al. (Sun,) studied this question.