--- title: Do medical students understand PMDD and feel prepared to diagnose it? description: Most medical students don't understand PMDD. Even those who studied gynecology or psychiatry don't feel prepared to diagnose it. Many confuse it with PMS. url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/percepcao-do-transtorno-disforico-pre-menstrual-entre-universitarios-de-medicina-2024/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - Do medical students understand PMDD and feel prepared to diagnose it? Survey study, 2024 # Do medical students understand PMDD and feel prepared to diagnose it? Most medical students don't understand PMDD. Even those who studied gynecology or psychiatry don't feel prepared to diagnose it. Many confuse it with PMS. Early or limited evidence 593 medical students in Brazil (83.6% women, 16.4% men) ## What they did A survey of 593 medical students in Brazil asked about their knowledge of PMDD, whether it was taught in their training, and how confident they felt in diagnosing it. ## What they found 40.8% had never heard of PMDD. Only 28.8% learned about PMDD during their university training. Among students who studied gynecology or psychiatry, 86.7% did not feel qualified to diagnose PMDD, and 52.4% did not know the difference between PMDD and PMS. 55.2% were able to correctly define PMDD, but 53.2% were unclear about its signs and symptoms. 82.9% of female students felt the medical approach to PMDD was superficial during consultations. ## What it means for you PMDD is not well taught in medical school, which means many doctors may not recognize or properly diagnose it. This could leave women with PMDD without proper treatment. The study looked only at medical students in one city in Brazil, so findings may differ in other regions. 593 medical students surveyed 40.8% had never heard of PMDD 86.7% did not feel qualified to diagnose PMDD ## About the study Original title Percepção do transtorno disfórico pré-menstrual entre universitários de medicina de Curitiba/PR Authors Bianca Ruiz Portes, Giovana Quezini Monken Menon, Leticia Maria Secchi Pereira et al. Journal Medicina (Ribeirão Preto) Year 2024 Study design Survey study Participants 593 Open access Yes Read the paper [doi.org/10.11606/issn.2176-7262.rmrp.2024.205145](https://doi.org/10.11606/issn.2176-7262.rmrp.2024.205145) Original abstract Introduction: Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD) is a severe form of Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS) characterized by psychological or behavioral symptoms that significantly impact a woman’s quality of life. Due to its recent recognition as a mental health disorder, many healthcare professionals remain unfamiliar with PMDD, complicating its diagnosis and management. Objective: To evaluate the perception of medical students in Curitiba, Paraná, regarding premenstrualdysphoric disorder. Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was approved by the Research Ethics Committee (CAAE: 47635921.4.0000.0093). Data were collected between August 2021 and April 2022 through an online questionnaire administered to 593 medical students from institutions in Curitiba, Paraná. The questionnaire assessed knowledge about PMDD, its teaching during medical training, differentiation from PMS, and the medical approach towards affected women. Results: Of the participants, 83.6% were women and 16.4% were men. A total of 51.9% had studied Gynecology and Obstetrics and/or Psychiatry. Regarding PMDD, 40.8% had never heard of it, and only 28.8% had acquired knowledge about it during their university education. Among those who had studied Gynecology and/or Psychiatry, 86.7% did not feel qualified to diagnose the disorder and were unaware of the differences between PMDD and PMS (52.4%), with a higher frequency of men (68.4%) compared to women (51%, p=0.017). While 55.2% of students correctly defined PMDD, the majority (53.2%) were unclear about its signs and symptoms. Among female students, 82.9% felt that the medical approach was superficial during consultations, while only 10.1% reported a thorough investigation of symptoms.Conclusions: PMDD is a condition that is poorly understood and inadequately addressed in the training of general practitioners. Increasing awareness and education on this subject in universities would better equip professionals to recognize and manage this disorder, ultimately improving women’s quality of life. Reproduced under CC-BY. ## 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/)[Quality of life and daily functioning](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-quality-of-life/)[Students and academic performance](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-education/)[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, 2026 What attitudes do nursing students have toward premenstrual dysphoric disorder? Survey study, 2025 How much do nursing students know about PMDD and how do they feel about it? Survey study, 2025 How aware are medical students of PMDD, and how common is it among female medical students? Survey study, 2013 Is health anxiety connected to PMS and PMDD? Systematic review, 2025 How common are PMS, PMDD, and painful periods in nursing students, and do they affect their schooling? Lab study, 2026 Do core stability exercises help women with PMDD? Ask AI about this page Copy prompt ChatGPT ↗ Claude ↗ Perplexity ↗ Google AI Mode ↗ Grok ↗