Interview study, 2015
What are the symptoms of PMDD and how many women have it?
PMDD is a severe form of premenstrual syndrome. About 90% of women experience premenstrual symptoms, but only 4.6% to 6.4% meet criteria for PMDD, and about 5% experience severe symptoms.
What they did
This is a literature review of published research on premenstrual symptoms and PMDD. The authors reviewed existing studies to understand what is known about these conditions and identify research gaps, particularly in Sudan.
What they found
About 90% of women experience premenstrual symptoms. Between 4.6% and 6.4% meet diagnostic criteria for PMDD. About 5% report severe symptoms that interfere with daily life. About 20% have severe PMS. Symptoms include mood changes, anxiety, irritability, loss of energy, sleep changes, breast tenderness, and bloating in the week before menstruation.
What it means for you
Most women notice premenstrual changes, but only a small percentage experience the most severe form (PMDD). Most research on PMDD has been conducted in Western countries, so less is known about how common it is in other regions. This is a literature review rather than a new study.
90%
experience premenstrual symptoms
4.6%-6.4%
meet PMDD criteria
5%
experience severe symptoms
About the study
- Original title
- Introduction of the Research
- Authors
- Nada Elbashir
- Journal
- Journal of Psychology & Clinical Psychiatry
- Year
- 2015
- Study design
- Interview study
- Participants
- 8
- Open access
- Yes
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.15406/jpcpy.2015.02.00086
Topics
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