Dysmenorrhea and depressive symptoms among female university students: a descriptive study from Saudi Arabia

BACKGROUND: Dysmenorrhea has significantly increased in prevalence. There is also evidence of the coexistence of dysmenorrhea and psychological disorders. This study aims to explore the prevalence of dysmenorrhea and investigate its correlation with depressive symptoms among Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University (PNU) students. All participants (N = 487) in this cross-sectional study provided sociodemographic data, menstrual and medical history, and completed the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) scale and (working ability, location, intensity, days of pain, dysmenorrhea [WaLIDD]) scale on a self-administered online questionnaire. RESULTS: The mean age of the females was 20.64 ± 2.38 years, and 40.7% were from health colleges. Severe dysmenorrhea requiring medical attention and pain killers or herbs was reported by 30.8% of the students. Significant predictors of severe dysmenorrhea were: younger age, earlier menarche, pain killers and herbs used for menstrual pain, a doctor visit for menstrual pain, and depression. In addition, significant protective factors of depression were: later menarche age, having a regular menstrual cycle, and longer duration. CONCLUSIONS: Students with severe dysmenorrhea have a higher risk of depression than other students. The findings stress the importance of awareness, education, a multidisciplinary approach to women's health, and early detection to prevent future complications.