Effects of Heat Treatment On Dysmenorrhea and Its Mental Health Outcomes: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Abstract

This randomized controlled prospective experimental trial was conducted with 46 students with dysmenorrhea who were randomized in a 1:1 ratio to the heat treatment group (HTG) ( n = 23) and control group (CG) ( n = 23). To HTG, dry heat was applied for 20 minutes to the lower abdominal region of the subjects when their dysmenorrhea was most severe. Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), the Short Form McGill Pain Questionnaire (SF-MPQ), the Menstrual Attitude Questionnaire (MAQ), and the Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS) were used in this study. At the first menstrual cycle, both groups received the questionnaires, and no treatment was applied. At the second, third, and fourth menstrual cycles, VAS and SF-MPQ were applied before the treatment (T1), right after the treatment (T2), and 2 hours after the treatment (T3). MAQ and DASS were applied right after the treatment. Seven subjects from HTG and four subjects from CG were excluded from the study on account of their analgesic medicine usage, inability to menstruate, or by their own requests. When HTG and CG were compared, the decrease in the dysmenorrhea pain after the heat treatment in each of the three menstrual cycles was found to be statistically significant ( P < 0.05). In each of the four menstrual cycles, depression, anxiety, and stress were detected in each subject in both groups. However, the effectiveness of the treatment was not determined ( P > 0.05). In HTG, awareness of the changes during menstruation was diminished with time. [ Psychiatr Ann . 2023;53(6):270–281.]