Menstrual pain self-medication relates to poor mental health outcomes from Al-Zaatri refugees’ camp

Abstract

Dysmenorrhea, the most common gynecological pain syndrome reported in women, is understudied in refugee communities. In
addition, the association between dysmenorrhea self-medication and mental health symptoms in this population is poorly
understood. We aimed to examine whether the use of dysmenorrhea analgesic self-medications and other clinical factors are
associated with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, anxiety and insomnia severity in female war refugees residing
in Zaatari Camp. This study followed a cross-sectional design and was performed on a cohort of women with predefined inclusion
criteria. The severity of PTSD, depression, anxiety and insomnia were assessed using Davidson Trauma Scale, the Patient Health
Questionnaire-9, the General Anxiety Disorder-7, and the Arabic version of the Insomnia Severity Index, respectively. Data were
analysed from 386 participants. Using OTC paracetamol was significantly associated with higher PTSD severity (B=4.16, t= 2.43,
p=0.01), and severe depression (OR=1.88, 95% CI= 1.07-3.28, p=0.03), while OTC non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs
(NSAIDs) was significantly associated with severe insomnia (OR=1.62, 95% CI= 1.05-2.49, p= 0.02). In conclusion, selfmedication with analgesics was correlated with poor mental health; close medical and psychiatric follow-up are required to
supervise pain self-medication and implement non-pharmacological strategies to manage dysmenorrhea in this fragile community.