--- title: What problems do Japanese doctors see in how PMS and PMDD are diagnosed and treated? description: Most Japanese doctors diagnose PMS and PMDD without using the recommended symptom diary. Only 8.4% keep a diary and 84.4% use only informal interviews. Treatm url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/current-status-and-problems-in-the-diagnosis-and-treatment-of-premenstrual-2023/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - What problems do Japanese doctors see in how PMS and PMDD are diagnosed and treated? Cohort study, 2023 # What problems do Japanese doctors see in how PMS and PMDD are diagnosed and treated? Most Japanese doctors diagnose PMS and PMDD without using the recommended symptom diary. Only 8.4% keep a diary and 84.4% use only informal interviews. Treatment relies mainly on birth control pills (98.1%) and herbal medicine (73.6%), with antidepressants used in just 2.6% of cases. Early or limited evidence 1312 Japanese obstetricians and gynecologists ## What they did Cross-sectional survey of 1312 Japanese obstetricians and gynecologists (7.8% response rate) in 2021 about their current diagnosis and treatment practices for PMS and PMDD. ## What they found 91.4% prefer to diagnose and treat PMS themselves rather than refer to psychiatrists. 96.6% treat PMS or PMDD routinely. For diagnosis: 84.4% use only informal interviews, 8.4% keep a symptom diary, 10.3% use a screening questionnaire. For treatment: 98.1% prescribe birth control pills, 73.6% prescribe Kampo (traditional Japanese herbal medicine), and 2.6% prescribe SSRIs (antidepressants). Among birth control types, 65.1% use drospirenone-ethinylestradriol. ## What it means for you Most Japanese doctors don't follow guidelines that recommend prospective symptom diaries for diagnosis. This describes practices in Japan only; we don't know if other countries differ. 1312 doctors surveyed 98.1% prescribed birth control pills 2.6% prescribed antidepressants ## About the study Original title Current status and problems in the diagnosis and treatment of premenstrual syndrome and premenstrual dysphoric disorder from the perspective of obstetricians and gynecologists in Japan Authors Yoshimi K, Inoue F, Odai T et al. Journal The journal of obstetrics and gynaecology research Year 2023 Study design Cohort study Participants 1,312 What was tested None Open access Yes Read the paper [doi.org/10.1111/jog.15618](https://doi.org/10.1111/jog.15618) Original abstract Aim: To investigate the current status and problems in the diagnosis and treatment of premenstrual syndrome (PMS) and premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) from the perspective of obstetricians and gynecologists (OB/GYNs) in Japan, the Japanese Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology (JSOG) conducted a national-wide survey. Methods: An email survey was sent to all JSOG members (16 732) and a web-based survey was conducted using a Google form between September and November 2021. The current status and problems in PMS/PMDD diagnosis and treatment were surveyed in this cross-sectional study. Results: In total, 1312 respondents (7.8% of all JSOG members) completed the questionnaire. In terms of diagnoses and treatment, OB/GYN was preferred over psychiatrist for PMS (91.4% vs. 45%); however, no differences were noted for PMDD (76.1% vs. 73.7%). A total of 1267 (96.6%) respondents engaged in routine PMS/PMDD treatment. Regarding the general diagnosis procedure, 84.4% respondents answered "only a vague medical interview," 8.4% kept a two-cycle symptom diary, and 10.3% used a screening questionnaire. The most commonly used medication was oral contraceptive pills (OCPs) (98.1%), followed by the Kampo, traditional Japanese herbal medicines, Kamishoyosan (73.6%). Concerning first-line drugs for treatment, OCPs were the most common (76.8%), followed by Kampo medicine (19.5%); selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) were less frequently used (2.6%). Regarding first-line drugs among OCPs, 65.1% respondents reported drospirenone-ethinylestradriol use. Conclusions: This study indicates that only a few OB/GYNs practicing PMS/PMDD in Japan use a prospective diary, which is an essential diagnostic criterion for PMS/PMDD. Regarding treatment, SSRIs were used less frequently. Reproduced under CC-BY. ## Topics [Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pmdd/)[Low mood and depression](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-depression-mood/)[SSRIs and antidepressants](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-ssri/)[Oral contraceptives and drospirenone](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-hormonal-contraceptives/)[Other herbal medicine](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-herbal-other/) Research tells you what helps on average. Niyora helps on the day it hits. Calm down, see it another way, and decide what to say, with a PMS and PMDD app built by a doctor. ## Related studies Review, 2015 What do we know about PMS and PMDD and how are they treated? Survey study, 2026 What are the causes, diagnosis, and treatments for PMS and PMDD? Review, 2016 How common are PMS and PMDD, and what are the best treatments? Review, 2002 What drugs work for PMDD? Survey study, 2025 Which Kampo medicines do Japanese doctors use for PMS and PMDD? Survey study, 2024 How do psychiatrists and gynecologists in Japan diagnose and treat PMS and PMDD? Ask AI about this page Copy prompt ChatGPT ↗ Claude ↗ Perplexity ↗ Google AI Mode ↗ Grok ↗