Lab study, 2000
Does calling PMS a psychiatric condition change how people think about it?
Labeling it as a psychiatric condition increased recommendations for psychiatric help. However, it did not cause the widespread negative effects like increased stigma or misuse that some people feared.
What they did
307 men and women in New York were shown written scenarios describing someone with premenstrual mood and physical symptoms. Some scenarios labeled the problem as a 'psychiatric condition' (Late Luteal Phase Dysphoric Disorder), and some did not. Researchers measured how people responded to the scenarios.
What they found
Labeling the symptoms as a psychiatric condition increased recommendations for psychiatric help. In general, the label did not cause large negative impacts like greatly increased stigma or being misused as a defense for violent crimes. The overall impact of labeling was mixed.
What it means for you
Using a psychiatric label does make people more likely to recommend professional help, which could be good for someone who needs support. However, fears that the diagnosis would greatly increase stigma or be misused to excuse violence were not supported by this data. The main limit is that this was a hypothetical scenario study, not measuring real-world experiences of women with the diagnosis.
307
Study participants
2
Labeling conditions tested
About the study
- Original title
- Labeling effects of a controversial psychiatric diagnosis: a vignette experiment of late luteal phase dysphoric disorder
- Authors
- Schwartz S, Weiss L, Lennon MC
- Journal
- Women & health
- Year
- 2000
- Study design
- Lab study
- Participants
- 307
- What was tested
- None—testing effect of labeling in written scenarios
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1300/j013v30n03_05
Topics
Related studies
Survey study, 2026
Should PMDD be recognized in Indian law as affecting criminal responsibility?
Case-control study, 2002
Do women with PMDD have worse cognitive function during their menstrual cycle?
Systematic review, 2026
Can digital tools help diagnose PMDD?
Case-control study, 2026
Do women with PMS handle emotions differently at different times of the cycle?
Cohort study, 2023
Is PMDD a valid medical diagnosis?
Randomised trial, 2000
How should PMDD be diagnosed and treated?