Abstract Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) is a common condition affecting young adults, marked by emotional, physical, and behavioral symptoms in the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle. It is significantly affecting the lives of women, whether they are adults or teenagers. It impacts women’s well-being and functioning. The aim of this review is to explore the psychosocial determinants of PMS which contribute to the PMS and its severity. A search was conducted in PubMed/Medline, DOAJ, JSTOR, and ScienceDirect for peer-reviewed articles published from 2015 to 2025. The findings from the studies were analyzed to identify the important psychosocial factors influencing PMS. Existing research suggests that adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), stress, personality traits, and coping behavior can influence PMS symptoms. On the other hand, a healthy lifestyle including certain physical exercises, good social support, and intrapersonal strengths can work as protective factors for PMS. However, the research on these psychosocial determinants is very limited. This review offers a thorough and cohesive synthesis of existing and emerging psychosocial determinants of PMS (e.g., ACEs, personality traits, cognitive or attributional style, coping or health behavior, resilience, body-image issues, parenting influences, and social support), providing a more comprehensive understanding of their impact on young women’s mental health. It also identifies the critical gap that can be filled to develop targeted interventions for improving women’s well-being and reducing stigma associated with menstrual health issues.
Patel et al. (2026) studied this question.