Premenstrual syndrome (PMS), which causes feelings of low mood, irritability, bloating, and fatigue, is relatively common among menstruating women. But in some cases, it can lead to premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), a group of depressive disorders that impair daily activities and interpersonal relationships.
A study by Associate Professor Takuya Miura of Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology and Professor Soichi Hashimoto of Tokyo Gakugei University found that girls with sub-threshold neurodevelopmental disorders (autism spectrum disorder; ASD and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder; ADHD) It was found that high school students tend to experience more discomfort before menstruation.
Previous research has shown that women with developmental disorders such as ASD and ADHD and intellectual disabilities are more likely to experience menstrual abnormalities, PMS, and PMDD, and are also at increased risk of worsening mood disorders during adolescence. is said to be high. However, to date, there have been no studies in Japan that have shown these relationships among high school girls with below-threshold neurodevelopmental disorders.
In this study, we conducted a questionnaire survey among 500 Japanese female high school and university students to examine the relationship between subthreshold ASD and ADHD characteristics, premenstrual discomfort, and school adjustment. As a result, high school girls with sub-threshold ASD and ADHD characteristics tend to have stronger premenstrual discomfort than female university students and typically developing female high school students, and may have greater difficulties adjusting to school. It turns out that there is. In particular, high school girls with sub-threshold ASD characteristics were more likely to feel depressed and hopeless, and had higher levels of anxiety and tension, says Associate Professor Miura.
Interestingly, while high school girls with subthreshold ASD traits face difficulties in school and academics, high school girls with subthreshold ADHD traits have difficulty building relationships at school. It was also discovered that it was causing problems.
Based on the findings of this study, it is hoped that strategies will be developed to help these students better adapt to school and improve their mental health, taking into account the difficulties caused by their developmental characteristics.
