--- title: Does learning about PMDD as a diagnosis change how women think about their symptoms? description: Learning that PMDD is a diagnosis didn't change women's own symptom reports, but it did make them more likely to see premenstrual problems as a psychiatric is url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/is-a-little-psychiatric-knowledge-a-dangerous-thing-the-impact-of-premenstrual-1997/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - Does learning about PMDD as a diagnosis change how women think about their symptoms? Survey study, 1997 # Does learning about PMDD as a diagnosis change how women think about their symptoms? Learning that PMDD is a diagnosis didn't change women's own symptom reports, but it did make them more likely to see premenstrual problems as a psychiatric issue for women in general. Early or limited evidence 134 women ## What they did 134 women completed a questionnaire about their menstrual symptoms. Two weeks later, they completed the same questionnaire again after reading either the official PMDD diagnosis criteria or the same criteria with the word menstrual removed and renamed 'Episodic Dysphoric Disorder.' ## What they found Knowledge of the PMDD diagnosis did not affect how women rated their own symptoms. However, women who read the menstrual-related diagnosis were more likely to think premenstrual problems were a problem for other women and more willing to attach a psychiatric label to other women they know. ## What it means for you The label and connection to menstruation matter. When people know symptoms are linked to the menstrual cycle, they're more likely to think it's a psychiatric disorder, even though this doesn't change how individual women experience their own symptoms. This suggests diagnosis labels can influence how society views premenstrual problems. 134 Participants 2 weeks Time between questionnaires ## About the study Original title Is a Little (Psychiatric) Knowledge a Dangerous Thing?: The Impact of Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder on Perceptions of Premenstrual Women Authors Heather C. Nash, Joan C. Chrisler Journal Psychology of Women Quarterly Year 1997 Study design Survey study What was tested Reading different versions of diagnostic criteria Read the paper [doi.org/10.1111/j.1471-6402.1997.tb00115.x](https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1471-6402.1997.tb00115.x) ## Topics [Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pmdd/)[Menstrual cycle and mood](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-cycle-mood/)[Low mood and depression](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-depression-mood/)[Irritability and anger](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-irritability-anger/)[Stigma, attitudes and culture](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-stigma-culture/) 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, 2023 How common are PMS and PMDD among college girls, and what are their symptoms? Survey study, 2018 How common are PMS and PMDD among medical students in South India? Survey study, 2002 How common is premenstrual dysphoric disorder among women in Morocco? Survey study, 2001 How common is premenstrual dysphoric disorder and how is it related to other psychiatric conditions? Case-control study, 2026 Do women with PMS handle emotions differently at different times of the cycle? Randomised trial, 2000 How should PMDD be diagnosed and treated? Ask AI about this page Copy prompt ChatGPT ↗ Claude ↗ Perplexity ↗ Google AI Mode ↗ Grok ↗