Survey study, 2016
Can we reliably screen for PMDD using a simple questionnaire?
Yes. Researchers developed a 25-question tool that reliably identifies women with PMDD based on current diagnostic criteria. The tool showed good consistency and stability.
What they did
Researchers developed a 25-item questionnaire and tested it in 2,820 Spanish-speaking women (mean age 23.43 years). They split the data into two groups of 1,410 each to test the questionnaire's structure and reliability.
What they found
The questionnaire had two dimensions: Dysphoria (dysphoric symptoms and weight gain, ordinal alpha=0.88) and Apathy (apathetic and physical symptoms, ordinal alpha=0.84). Both dimensions displayed good internal consistency and moderate temporal stability. There was a positive relationship between Neuroticism and PMDD.
What it means for you
The questionnaire appears valid and reliable for screening PMDD. However, this only shows the tool works, not what causes PMDD or how to treat it. The study was conducted in Spain in relatively young women, so results may differ in other groups.
2,820
women surveyed
25
items in questionnaire
0.88
consistency score for Dysphoria dimension
About the study
- Original title
- Development of a screening instrument to assess premenstrual dysphoric disorder as conceptualized in DSM-5
- Authors
- Aperribai L, Alonso-Arbiol I, Balluerka N et al.
- Journal
- Journal of psychosomatic research
- Year
- 2016
- Study design
- Survey study
- Participants
- 1,410
- What was tested
- None; questionnaire validation study
- Open access
- Yes
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychores.2016.07.003
Topics
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