Family coping and premenstrual symptomatology.

OBJECTIVE

To examine how families cope when the woman experiences premenstrual symptomatology.

DESIGN

A descriptive panel design and purposive, nonprobability sampling through interviews and questionnaires.

SETTING

Participants' homes.

PARTICIPANTS

One hundred four couples who met the study criteria were recruited from medical practices and community seminars and through media announcements.

MEASURES: Study outcome measures were formulated after data collection.

RESULTS

High-symptom families used spiritual coping strategies more frequently than low-symptom families (R = .427, p = 0.003 in women, p < 0.001 in men). Husbands were more likely than wives to report that their families coped by believing that the problem would go away if they waited long enough (t = -3.06, p = 0.003). Husbands of women with high symptomatology reported that their families used this passive approach to a significant degree (t = -3.43, p = 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Religious or spiritual support may be especially important to families in which the woman suffers from premenstrual symptomatology. These families may also keep problems within the family and be socially detached. Nurses may help by encouraging the use of social supports, religious or spiritual support, and other family resources.