--- title: Where do women with PMS and PMDD seek help, and do they feel heard by healthcare providers? description: About two-thirds of 530 women sought help, with more seeking information online (45.93%) than formal healthcare (11.34%). However, 78.49% felt their symptoms url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/help-seeking-behaviours-and-experiences-for-mental-health-symptoms-related-to-2024/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - Where do women with PMS and PMDD seek help, and do they feel heard by healthcare providers? Survey study, 2024 # Where do women with PMS and PMDD seek help, and do they feel heard by healthcare providers? About two-thirds of 530 women sought help, with more seeking information online (45.93%) than formal healthcare (11.34%). However, 78.49% felt their symptoms were not taken seriously by formal healthcare providers. Moderate study design 530 women in UK with at least one PMS or PMDD symptom ## What they did Online survey of 530 women in the UK with PMS or PMDD symptoms. Measured help-seeking behaviors, where they sought help (online or formal), and their experiences with healthcare providers. ## What they found All 530 participants endorsed at least one PMS symptom; 97.17% experienced functional impairment. 64.91% sought help: 45.93% online, 11.34% formal, 42.73% both. Most looked up symptoms online (85.57%) and treatment options (39.67%). 78.49% felt symptoms were not taken seriously by formal providers. ## What it means for you Many women with PMS try to find answers online rather than seeing a doctor, and many feel dismissed by formal healthcare. This points to a need for better online resources and improved provider training. The main limitation is this is survey data and may not represent all women with PMS. 530 Women surveyed 78.49% Felt symptoms not taken seriously by formal providers 97.17% Experienced functional impairment from symptoms ## About the study Original title Help-seeking behaviours and experiences for mental health symptoms related to the menstrual cycle: a UK-wide exploratory survey Authors Erin Lucy Funnell, Nayra Anna Martin-Key, Benedetta Spadaro et al. Journal npj Women s Health Year 2024 Study design Survey study Participants 530 What was tested None (observational survey of help-seeking behaviors) Open access Yes Read the paper [doi.org/10.1038/s44294-023-00004-w](https://doi.org/10.1038/s44294-023-00004-w) Original abstract Abstract Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) and premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) are menstrual cycle-related disorders characterised by psychological and physical symptoms which impact functioning. Little is known about avenues for help-seeking for these disorders. Therefore, we sought to examine help-seeking behaviors and experiences, and investigate differences between identified PMS and PMDD groups. An online survey was delivered and data from 530 participants were analysed. All participants endorsed at least one PMS symptom, with 97.17% experiencing functional impairment. Help was sought by 64.91% (online: 45.93%; formal: 11.34%; online and formal: 42.73%), with 78.49% perceiving their symptoms were not taken seriously when seeking formal help. Most sought help online to look up symptoms (85.57%) and treatment options (39.67%). The study revealed the high frequency of PMS symptoms and the impact on wellbeing, as well as the significant proportion of online help-seekers, emphasizing the need for high-quality, evidence-based online resources and improvement of formal care interactions. Reproduced under CC-BY. ## Topics [Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pmdd/)[Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Diagnosis experience and healthcare access](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-healthcare-access/)[Quality of life and daily functioning](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-quality-of-life/) 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 Survey study, 2025 Does PMDD or PMS affect quality of life? Systematic review, 2025 Do nutritional interventions help with emotional symptoms of PMS? Cohort study, 2025 Do women with PMS or PMDD report lower quality of life than women without these conditions? Systematic review, 2025 How common are PMS, PMDD, and painful periods in nursing students, and do they affect their schooling? Cohort study, 2024 Do women with severe premenstrual disorders have higher risk of relationship breakup? Randomised trial, 2023 Does taking sertraline when PMDD symptoms start improve how well women function? Ask AI about this page Copy prompt ChatGPT ↗ Claude ↗ Perplexity ↗ Google AI Mode ↗ Grok ↗