--- title: How aware are medical students of PMDD, and how common is it among female medical students? description: Female medical students recognised PMDD as a mental disorder much more than male students. About 9% of female medical students tested positive for PMDD on scr url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/premenstrual-dysphoric-disorder-a-cross-sectional-study-on-prevalence-and-2025/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - How aware are medical students of PMDD, and how common is it among female medical students? Survey study, 2025 # How aware are medical students of PMDD, and how common is it among female medical students? Female medical students recognised PMDD as a mental disorder much more than male students. About 9% of female medical students tested positive for PMDD on screening. Early or limited evidence 377 medical students (150 female) at a Saudi Arabian university. ## What they did Cross-sectional study of 377 medical students at one university in Saudi Arabia, with 150 female students screened for PMDD using a validated tool (PSST). ## What they found 66% of female students recognised PMDD as a mental disorder compared to 27% of male students. Among 150 women screened, 8.7% tested positive for PMDD. The most common symptom in those with PMDD was anxiety or tension. PMDD was linked to more severe period pain. ## What it means for you Only one medical school in one city in Saudi Arabia, so results may not represent other schools or countries. The link between PMDD and period pain suggests hormones play a role. Even among future doctors, awareness gaps exist. 66% of female students recognised PMDD as a mental disorder 8.7% of female students tested positive for PMDD 27% of male students recognised PMDD as a mental disorder ## About the study Original title Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder: A Cross-Sectional Study on Prevalence and Awareness Among Medical Students Authors Babour RR, Alharbi SA, Alzahrani SM et al. Journal Cureus Year 2025 Study design Survey study Participants 377 What was tested None. This was assessment of awareness and screening for PMDD. Open access Yes Read the paper [doi.org/10.7759/cureus.80917](https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.80917) Original abstract Background: Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), a severe form of PMS, has been recognized recently as a mental disorder. PMDD can present with disabling physical, mental, and psychological symptoms affecting women's daily functions. Due to its overlapping nature with other disorders, the prevalence of PMDD remains unknown. This study aimed to evaluate the awareness of PMDD among medical students and to assess the prevalence of PMDD among female students. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 377 medical students from King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Jeddah. PMDD awareness was assessed using a self-developed questionnaire, and prevalence among women was evaluated with the PSST. Data were analyzed using the John's Macintosh Project software, version 10.0 (JMP Statistical Discovery, LLC, Cary, NC), with chi-square, Mann-Whitney, and Kruskal's tests, considering p < 0.05 as statistically significant. Results: Out of 377 students, there was a significant difference in recognizing PMDD as a mental disorder between 106 female students (66%) and 51 male students (27.3%). Significantly higher PMDD awareness was observed among students in the clinical years and those with medical or mental conditions. Around 40% of the students had a positive attitude toward PMDD, believing it may require medical management. Among the 150 female medical students who met the inclusion criteria for PSST assessment to screen for PMDD, 8.7% tested positive, and this was correlated with the severity of dysmenorrhea. Anxiety/tension was the most common symptom in the PMDD group, with significant impairment in social activities and home responsibilities. Conclusion: The study demonstrated a noticeable level of awareness toward PMDD among medical students, especially among women and those in the clinical years. The association between PMDD symptoms and the severity of dysmenorrhea highlights the relationship between hormonal fluctuations and PMDD manifestations. Early detection and intervention are required to improve the quality of life for women with PMDD. Further research is recommended to assess the awareness of practitioners and the general population about the diagnosis of PMDD and to explore PMDD pathophysiology. 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/)[Dysmenorrhea and period pain](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-dysmenorrhea/)[Low mood and depression](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-depression-mood/)[Anxiety and tension](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-anxiety/)[Psychotherapy, counselling and education](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-psychotherapy/)[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, 2023 How common are PMS, PMDD, anxiety, and depression in rural adolescent girls? 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? Randomised trial, 2023 What does research show about PMDD neurochemistry? Survey study, 2023 How common are PMS and PMDD among college girls, and what are their symptoms? Survey study, 2013 Is health anxiety connected to PMS and PMDD? Ask AI about this page Copy prompt ChatGPT ↗ Claude ↗ Perplexity ↗ Google AI Mode ↗ Grok ↗