--- title: Is fluoxetine or cognitive-behavioral therapy more effective for PMDD? description: Both work equally well after 6 months. Fluoxetine works faster and reduces anxiety more. Cognitive-behavioral therapy builds better coping skills and changes url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/medical-fluoxetine-and-psychological-cognitive-behavioural-therapy-treatment-for-2002/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - Is fluoxetine or cognitive-behavioral therapy more effective for PMDD? Randomised trial, 2002 # Is fluoxetine or cognitive-behavioral therapy more effective for PMDD? Both work equally well after 6 months. Fluoxetine works faster and reduces anxiety more. Cognitive-behavioral therapy builds better coping skills and changes how women think about their symptoms. Moderate study design Women with premenstrual dysphoric disorder ## What they did Women with PMDD received either fluoxetine or cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) for 6 months. Researchers measured premenstrual symptoms daily, mood, thoughts about the cause of symptoms, and coping strategies. They followed women for 1 year. ## What they found Both treatments reduced symptoms equally by 6 months. Fluoxetine worked faster and had greater impact on anxiety. CBT increased use of active coping strategies and shifted how women thought about symptoms from purely medical to combining physical and psychological factors. Women with depression at baseline did worse in both treatments. Women who learned active behavioral coping strategies had better outcomes at 1 year. ## What it means for you Both fluoxetine and CBT work for PMDD but through different mechanisms. Choice between them may depend on preference and what matters most to you. Learning active coping skills predicts better long-term outcomes. 6 months treatment duration 1 year follow-up period ## About the study Original title Medical (fluoxetine) and psychological (cognitive-behavioural therapy) treatment for premenstrual dysphoric disorder: a study of treatment processes Authors Hunter MS, Ussher JM, Cariss M et al. Journal Journal of psychosomatic research Year 2002 Study design Randomised trial What was tested Fluoxetine or cognitive-behavioral therapy for 6 months Read the paper [doi.org/10.1016/s0022-3999(02)00338-0](https://doi.org/10.1016/s0022-3999(02)00338-0) ## 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/)[Anxiety and tension](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-anxiety/)[Cognition, concentration and memory](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-cognition/)[SSRIs and antidepressants](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-ssri/)[Cognitive behavioral therapy](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-cbt/)[Anxiety disorders and OCD](https://niyora.com/research/topics/comorbidity-anxiety-disorders/) 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 Non-randomised trial, 2001 Do people with PMDD have different breathing patterns? Cohort study, 2010 How do anxiety disorders differ across different life stages? Review, 2024 What are the most effective treatments for PMDD? Review, 2017 What causes PMDD and what are the best treatments? Review, 2015 What do we know about PMS and PMDD and how are they treated? Systematic review, 2012 How effective are cognitive-behavioral therapy and antidepressants for PMS and PMDD? Ask AI about this page Copy prompt ChatGPT ↗ Claude ↗ Perplexity ↗ Google AI Mode ↗ Grok ↗