Relationship between Dysmenorrhea and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in Japanese High School Students 9 Months after the Great East Japan Earthquake

Study Objective: To determine the relationship between dysmenorrhea and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among Japanese adolescent girls 9 months after the Great East Japan Earthquake. Design: Cross-sectional study. Setting: Two high schools in Sendai, the largest city in northeastern Japan. Participants: 1489 female adolescents aged between 15 and 18 years. Main Outcome Measures: Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R), intensity of menstrual pain. Results: The intensity of menstrual pain increased according to the comorbidity of PTSD (. P < .001). The IES-R subscale and total scores significantly increased according to the severity of menstrual pain. Conclusions: This study showed a significant association between natural disaster-induced PTSD and the severity of dysmenorrhea.