Interview study, 2026
What are women's experiences getting diagnosed with PMDD?
Women often face doctors dismissing their symptoms and long waits to get diagnosed. Once diagnosed, the recognition can help, but only if women can access treatment. These experiences were similar across different countries.
What they did
Researchers interviewed 27 women with PMDD from nine different countries. They analyzed the interviews and found four main themes in what women described.
What they found
Women described being dismissed or gaslit by doctors, waiting a long time for diagnosis, struggling to access healthcare, and having to advocate for themselves to get care. Negative healthcare experiences often delayed diagnosis and caused women to distrust doctors. A diagnosis was validating but only helpful if resources and care were available.
What it means for you
Healthcare providers need better knowledge about PMDD so they recognize it earlier and believe women's symptoms. The study was small with 27 women and is qualitative, so it describes patterns but cannot count how common each experience is.
27
Women interviewed with PMDD
9
Countries represented
4
Main themes about their experiences
About the study
- Original title
- Medical gas-lighting, diagnostic odyssey and self-advocacy among women with premenstrual dysphoric disorder from nine countries
- Authors
- Mosalisa M, Roomaney R
- Journal
- Journal of health psychology
- Year
- 2026
- Study design
- Interview study
- Participants
- 27
- What was tested
- None. This study interviewed women about their experiences.
- Open access
- Yes
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1177/13591053251401286
Original abstract
Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD) is a cyclical condition similar to premenstrual syndrome (PMS), with symptoms arising in the late luteal phase. Studies highlight barriers to care, including misdiagnosis, missed diagnosis, and limited practitioner knowledge. Most qualitative research has focussed on the USA, UK, and Australia. This study explored the healthcare experiences of 27 women from nine countries diagnosed with PMDD using a phenomenological approach. Semi-structured interviews were analysed thematically in ATLAS.ti, generating four themes: (1) medical gas-lighting and the importance of diagnosis, (2) diagnostic odyssey, (3) access to healthcare, and (4) self-advocacy. Findings reveal that negative healthcare experiences often delay diagnosis and care-seeking while fostering mistrust in healthcare systems. Experiences were similar across countries, regardless of healthcare structures. While diagnosis can be validating, its benefits may depend on available resources. Greater awareness of PMDD among healthcare providers is essential for improving patient care.
Reproduced under CC-BY.
Topics
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