Premenstrual Disorders in Adolescents and Effects of Major Environmental Events

Global warming and the ensuing climate change, frequent large earthquakes, serious natural disasters, and emerging infectious diseases with pandemic potential, such as the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), have significantly increased stress levels worldwide. Studies that investigated war and abuse experiences reported that stress exacerbates premenstrual disorders (PMDs). Adolescence, a transitional period between childhood and adulthood, is characterized by increased vulnerability to the effects of stress. Since 2008, we have been investigating PMDs among senior high school students in Sendai yearly. Nine months after the Great East Japan Earthquake, a survey showed that earthquake-induced post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) were correlated with PMD severity, and comparison of pre- and post-earthquake survey results showed post-disaster exacerbations in PMDs. In contrast, COVID-19 did not cause sudden devastating effects on senior high school students; however, students were exposed to remarkable stress due to school closure after a state of emergency declaration in April 2020, a shift to a remote learning model, and parental unemployment from socioeconomic repercussions of the pandemic. In December 2020, a survey revealed an association between COVID-19-induced PTSS and menstrual cycle symptoms. Poor mental health during adolescence predicts mental health disorders in adulthood; therefore, adolescents should receive appropriate present and future psychological care.