--- title: What are the main symptom groups in premenstrual dysphoric disorder? description: PMDD symptoms split into two linked groups: one combining low mood and physical symptoms, and another involving trouble with relationships and feeling out of url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/dimensionality-of-the-premenstrual-syndrome-confirmatory-factor-analysis-of-2007/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - What are the main symptom groups in premenstrual dysphoric disorder? Lab study, 2007 # What are the main symptom groups in premenstrual dysphoric disorder? PMDD symptoms split into two linked groups: one combining low mood and physical symptoms, and another involving trouble with relationships and feeling out of control. Moderate study design 632 regularly menstruating college students, mean age 24.4 years, ranging from 17 to 49 ## What they did Researchers asked 632 college students about their premenstrual symptoms. They split the students randomly into two groups. For one group they used a method to find patterns in which symptoms occur together. For the other group they tested three different theories about how PMDD symptoms are organized. ## What they found The symptoms grouped into two linked dimensions. The first combined feeling depressed or irritable with physical symptoms. The second involved difficulty with relationships and feeling out of control. The two-group model fit the data better than the other two theories. ## What it means for you PMDD symptoms come in two clusters, not one pattern. This could help doctors and researchers focus on both the mood and physical sides together, and also on how the cycle affects relationships and self-control. The main limit is that this was college students without severe PMDD, not women diagnosed with the disorder. 632 students surveyed 24.4 years mean age ## About the study Original title Dimensionality of the premenstrual syndrome: confirmatory factor analysis of premenstrual dysphoric symptoms among college students Authors Wang YP, Teng CT, Vieira Filho AH et al. Journal Brazilian journal of medical and biological research = Revista brasileira de pesquisas medicas e biologicas Year 2007 Study design Lab study Participants 316 What was tested None; observational study Open access Yes Read the paper [doi.org/10.1590/s0100-879x2007000500006](https://doi.org/10.1590/s0100-879x2007000500006) Original abstract Premenstrual syndrome and premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) seem to form a severity continuum with no clear-cut boundary. However, since the American Psychiatric Association proposed the research criteria for PMDD in 1994, there has been no agreement about the symptomatic constellation that constitutes this syndrome. The objective of the present study was to establish the core latent structure of PMDD symptoms in a non-clinical sample. Data concerning PMDD symptoms were obtained from 632 regularly menstruating college students (mean age 24.4 years, SD 5.9, range 17 to 49). For the first random half (N = 316), we performed principal component analysis (PCA) and for the remaining half (N = 316), we tested three theory-derived competing models of PMDD by confirmatory factor analysis. PCA allowed us to extract two correlated factors, i.e., dysphoric-somatic and behavioral-impairment factors. The two-dimensional latent model derived from PCA showed the best overall fit among three models tested by confirmatory factor analysis (chi(2)53 = 64.39, P = 0.13; goodness-of-fit indices = 0.96; adjusted goodness-of-fit indices = 0.95; root mean square residual = 0.05; root mean square error of approximation = 0.03; 90%CI = 0.00 to 0.05; Akaike's information criterion = -41.61). The items "out of control" and "physical symptoms" loaded conspicuously on the first factor and "interpersonal impairment" loaded higher on the second factor. The construct validity for PMDD was accounted for by two highly correlated dimensions. These results support the argument for focusing on the core psychopathological dimension of PMDD in future studies. 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/)[Quality of life and daily functioning](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-quality-of-life/)[Students and academic performance](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-education/) 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 Systematic review, 2025 How common are PMS, PMDD, and painful periods in nursing students, and do they affect their schooling? Lab study, 2026 Do core stability exercises help women with PMDD? Study, 2026 What are premenstrual syndrome and premenstrual dysphoric disorder? Survey study, 2026 How common is PMDD among college women and what increases the risk? Review, 2026 How much do PMS and menstrual disorders affect women's work, school, and quality of life? Survey study, 2025 How common is PMDD among female medical students in Vietnam? Ask AI about this page Copy prompt ChatGPT ↗ Claude ↗ Perplexity ↗ Google AI Mode ↗ Grok ↗