Survey study, 1989
Can daily symptom tracking help doctors diagnose different types of PMS?
Yes. Daily symptom tracking separated women into three groups: those with symptoms only before their period (30%), those with ongoing symptoms that worsen before the period (56%), and those with no menstrual pattern (14%). This helps doctors understand each woman's specific pattern.
What they did
This was a cross-sectional study of 82 women seeking PMS help; 80 had usable data. They kept daily symptom records for two menstrual cycles. Blood samples were taken weekly to measure estradiol and progesterone levels. All women completed a personality questionnaire and reported any previous psychiatric illness.
What they found
Daily symptom records divided women into three groups. Group 1 (pure PMS, 30%) had symptoms only during the premenstrual phase. Group 2 (56%) had negative symptoms throughout the cycle with worsening before the period. Group 3 (14%) showed no relationship between symptoms and the menstrual cycle. Group 1 had significantly lower neuroticism scores and fewer women with previous psychiatric illness than Groups 2 and 3.
What it means for you
Not all women with PMS have the same pattern. Some have symptoms only before their period, while others have underlying depression or anxiety that worsens at that time. The study only included women seeking clinical help, so results may not apply to all women with PMS.
30%
Women with symptoms only in premenstrual phase (pure PMS)
56%
Women with ongoing symptoms worsening before period
14%
Women with no menstrual pattern to symptoms
About the study
- Original title
- Diagnosis of premenstrual tension syndrome: description and evaluation of a procedure for diagnosis and differential diagnosis
- Authors
- Stefan Hammarbäck, Torbjörn Carl Bäckström, B. Macgibbon-Taylor
- Journal
- Journal of Psychosomatic Obstetrics & Gynecology
- Year
- 1989
- Study design
- Survey study
- Participants
- 80
- What was tested
- Daily symptom tracking method tested
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.3109/01674828909016676
Topics
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