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Background & Aim: Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) is a common psychosomatic disorder that affects 30-50% of women in reproductive ages. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of a counseling program on premenstrual syndrome related symptoms.
Methods & Materials: This study was a randomized clinical trial in which the effect of a 3-sessioned counseling program on the PMS symptoms were assessed in 123 adolescent with PMS. The program included information providing, life style alteration, and providing stress management skills on symptoms of PMS. The participants were randomly allocated to intervention (n=67) and control (n=61) groups. Participants completed the demographic questionnaire, the PMS symptoms&apos daily record scale, and the symptom checklist 90-revised (SCL-90-R). Data were analyzed using the SPSS-11.5.
Results: The comparison of baseline data showed no significant difference between two groups regarding demographic characteristic and the PMS related symptoms. There were significant differences in the mean of total PMS severity, somatic symptoms (P<0.001), anxiety, interpersonal sensitivity, and hostility (P<0.05) between two intervention and control groups. There was not any significant difference in depression between intervention and control groups (P=0.11).
Conclusion: Group counseling resulted in a significant reduction in severity of total PMS, somatic symptoms, anxiety, interpersonal sensitivity and hostility in intervention group compared to the control group. There was no statistically significant difference in depression between two groups.

 

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  Background & Aim: The aim of present study was to assess psychometric properties of premenstrual symptoms screening tool (PSST) to provide a fast and appropriate screening tool for women who suffer from severe PMS/PMDD and their clinicians .

  Methods & Materials: It was a cross-sectional study. The study included 404 female students studying at Semnan University who were randomly selected using stratified method. In order to assess psychometric properties, we used the exploratory factor analysis, convergent validity (evaluated by symptom checklist-90-Revised), criterion-related validity (calculated by comparing psychiatrist diagnosis and PSST). Sensitivity and specificity coefficients of optimal cutoff points were calculated by the ROC Curve and construct validity was evaluated by the PSST ability to separate PMS and PMDD groups from healthy group. Reliability was evaluated using the cronbach’s alpha and test-retest method . 

  Results: The p rinciple component analysis revealed that the PSST consists of four factors: interest reduction, interference in functions, physical and neurotic symptoms, and eating and sleep patterns. As an evidence of convergent validity, PSST scores showed significant correlations with the SCL-90-R’s dimensions. Agreement coefficient between psychiatrists and the PSST diagnosis was 0.314 for the PMS and 0.80 for the PMDD. This tool separated the PMS and PMDD groups from healthy group well. Optimal Cutoff point for separating females suffering from PMDD was 2.22. The sensitivity and specificity coefficients were 0.9 and 0.77, respectively. The cronbach’s alpha was 0.91 and the test-retest reliability was 0.56 for the total tool .

  Conclusion: The translated version of the premenstrual symptoms screening tool can be used as a valid tool for Iranian females. This instrument can be useful for rapid screening and identifying women who suffer from severe PMS/PMDD, especially in clinical settings .

  

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Background & Aim: Ultraviolet (UV) keratitis is an inflammation of the corneal epithelium and conjunctiva caused by UV radiation and is associated with the symptoms including severe eye pain, decreased visual acuity, severe tearing and red eye. The use of primary patching in the patients is doubtful. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the effect of eye patching on the improvement of clinical symptoms in patients with UV keratitis.

Methods & Materials: In this clinical trial, 120 patients with UV keratitis referred to the emergency department of Khatam Al Anbia center affiliated to Mashhad University of medical sciences, were randomly assigned into two groups (each group contains 60 patients) with patching and non-patching in 2015 (IRCT2015092124124N1). In one group, both eyes were patched and the other group was not patched. All other care was similar in both groups. Clinical symptoms were checked and compared between two groups before and after 12 hours. Data were analyzed by descriptive statistics, independent t-test, paired t-test, Chi-square and Wilcoxon using SPSS software version 23. A p-value less than 0.05 was considered significant.

Results: The results showed that redness (P<0.001) and tearing (P<0.001) were more improved in the non-patched group but there was no statistically significant difference between the two groups in visual acuity (P>0.05).

Conclusion: Eye patch does not have effect on the improvement of clinical symptoms such as tearing and redness, and these symptoms are more improved without patching.

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Background & Aim: Perimenopause is associated with severe changes in reproduction and hormones. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of group counseling on the severity of menopausal symptoms in the transition to menopause.
Methods & Materials: This clinical trial study was performed on ninety perimenopausal women in Javanrood city in 2019. Women were randomly assigned into the intervention or control groups using the block randomization method. Counseling was conducted for the intervention group in groups of 11 to 12 people in four 60-minute sessions for four consecutive weeks. After 8 weeks, the severity of menopausal symptoms was measured using the Menopause Symptoms Scale. Data were analyzed using the SPSS software version 21.
Results: There was no statistically significant difference between the two groups in terms of menopausal symptoms scores before the intervention (P=0.86). After the group counseling, the median (Q1, Q3) of menopausal symptoms, physical, mental and genitourinary symptoms in the intervention and control groups were 17.0 (15.0, 21.5) and 21.0 (17.0, 30.5) (P<0.001), 6.0 (5.0, 8.0) and 9.0 (6.5, 11.0) (P<0.001), 6.0 (5.0, 8.0) and 8.0 (5.0, 10.0) (P=0.004), and 5.0 (4.0, 6.0) and 6.0 (5.0, 8.5) (P<0.001), respectively. These values for the intervention group were significantly lower than those in the control group.
Conclusion: Providing group counseling for four sessions was effective in reducing the severity of menopausal symptoms in perimenopausal women. Therefore, it is suggested that this strategy be used to promote women's health in the premenopausal period.
Clinical trial registry: IRCT20120215009014N320