--- title: Are doctors correctly diagnosing PMDD or mistaking it for depression or anxiety? description: All four women interviewed were initially misdiagnosed with depression or anxiety rather than PMDD. The key to accurate diagnosis was recognizing that symptom url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/pardon-my-sobbing-a-qualitative-study-on-differentiating-generalised-mood-2022/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - Are doctors correctly diagnosing PMDD or mistaking it for depression or anxiety? Interview study, 2022 # Are doctors correctly diagnosing PMDD or mistaking it for depression or anxiety? All four women interviewed were initially misdiagnosed with depression or anxiety rather than PMDD. The key to accurate diagnosis was recognizing that symptoms followed the menstrual cycle. Early or limited evidence Women with PMDD in the United Kingdom, aged 30 to 50 years ## What they did Researchers interviewed women with PMDD across the United Kingdom about their diagnosis experiences and the impact of being misdiagnosed. They also tested three diagnostic questionnaires to see how well each one identified PMDD. ## What they found All four women interviewed had been misdiagnosed with major depression and/or generalized anxiety disorder. They all received a correct PMDD diagnosis only when they or their doctors recognized the cyclical pattern of symptoms. The Premenstrual Symptom Screening Tool identified the most symptoms and performed better than the other two questionnaires tested. ## What it means for you PMDD is frequently misdiagnosed as depression or anxiety, leading to wrong treatments. Women and doctors need to know that symptoms following the menstrual cycle is the key to recognizing PMDD. The study is very small with only four detailed interviews, so these findings need confirmation in larger studies. 4 women interviewed in detail ## About the study Original title Pardon My Sobbing: A Qualitative Study on Differentiating Generalised Mood Disorders From Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder Authors Pradhan A Journal BJPsych open Year 2022 Study design Interview study Participants 50 Open access Yes Read the paper [doi.org/10.1192/bjo.2022.235](https://doi.org/10.1192/bjo.2022.235) Original abstract Aims: To assess current diagnostic methods used in the United Kingdom which have led to successful diagnoses of PMDD (Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder). Methods: Women suffering from PMDD were recruited across the United Kingdom. Participants were interviewed using a semi-structured interview guide about their paths to diagnoses and the impact of receiving a misdiagnosis. Interviews were transcribed and thematically analysed to assess for overarching themes and similarities across participants. The Patient Health Questionnaire-9, Generalised Anxiety Disorder-7 survey, and Premenstrual Symptom Screening Tool were used to assess for each questionnaire's diagnostic ability. Results: Four women aged 30–50 years all identifying as PMDD patients were interviewed. All four participants received misdiagnoses of major depressive disorder and/or generalised anxiety disorder. The key to achieving a PMDD diagnosis for all four women was awareness of the cyclical nature of their symptoms. All three surveys failed to fulfill all the diagnostic criteria for PMDD, however the Premenstrual Symptom Screening Tool performed the best and elicited the greatest number of symptoms from the population sample. Conclusion: This research showed the need for patient awareness of PMDD via research, or awareness of the relationship between symptoms and the menstrual cycle, to achieving a diagnosis and receiving adequate treatment. Specialist treatment was also imperative to achieving a formal diagnosis. Reproduced under CC-BY. ## Topics [Anxiety disorders and OCD](https://niyora.com/research/topics/comorbidity-anxiety-disorders/)[Major depressive disorder](https://niyora.com/research/topics/comorbidity-major-depression/)[Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pmdd/)[Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Diagnosis experience and healthcare access](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-healthcare-access/)[Stigma, attitudes and culture](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-stigma-culture/)[Anxiety and tension](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-anxiety/)[Low mood and depression](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-depression-mood/) 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, 2008 How common is PMDD in African women and what factors are linked to it? Survey study, 2001 How common is premenstrual dysphoric disorder and how is it related to other psychiatric conditions? Non-randomised trial, 2008 Can the Sheehan Disability Scale measure whether treatments work? Study, 2026 Do anxiety and depression get worse before your period if you already have a mental health condition? Study, 2026 What are premenstrual syndrome and premenstrual dysphoric disorder? Review, 2014 Are mental health problems linked to gynecological conditions like PMS and PMDD? Ask AI about this page Copy prompt ChatGPT ↗ Claude ↗ Perplexity ↗ Google AI Mode ↗ Grok ↗