--- title: How common is PMDD and does it stick around? | Niyora description: PMDD affects 5.8% of young women and tends to persist. Most women with PMDD also have anxiety or other mental health conditions, use healthcare more, and have url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/prevalence-incidence-and-stability-of-premenstrual-dysphoric-disorder-in-the-2002/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - How common is PMDD and does it stick around? Cohort study, 2002 # How common is PMDD and does it stick around? PMDD affects 5.8% of young women and tends to persist. Most women with PMDD also have anxiety or other mental health conditions, use healthcare more, and have higher suicide rates. Moderate study design 1488 women aged 14-24, 1251 at follow-up, from community sample ## What they did Researchers followed 1488 women aged 14-24 for 48 months (1251 completed follow-up), using diagnostic interviews to check for PMDD and other mental disorders. ## What they found 5.8% had PMDD at baseline, 5.3% when depression cases were excluded. An additional 18.6% had near-threshold PMDD. Only 7.4% had PMDD at any point during lifetime follow-up. PMDD was stable with less than 10% remission. Comorbidity was high: 47.4% also had anxiety disorders, 22.9% mood disorders, 28.4% somatoform disorders. Only 26.5% had no other mental disorder. High rates of nicotine dependence and PTSD. Women with PMDD had more impairment days, higher healthcare use, and more suicide attempts. ## What it means for you PMDD is real and moderately common in young women, tends to persist, and usually comes with other mental health issues. Women with PMDD have higher suicide risk. A key limitation is that the study did not use daily symptom ratings, which standard diagnostic criteria require. 5.8% prevalence of PMDD at baseline 47.4% also have anxiety disorders 7.4% lifetime incidence ## About the study Original title Prevalence, incidence and stability of premenstrual dysphoric disorder in the community Authors Wittchen H -U, Becker E, Lieb R et al. Journal Psychological medicine Year 2002 Study design Cohort study Participants 1,251 What was tested None Open access Yes Read the paper [doi.org/10.1017/s0033291701004925](https://doi.org/10.1017/s0033291701004925) ## 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/)[Suicidality](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-suicidality/)[Major depressive disorder](https://niyora.com/research/topics/comorbidity-major-depression/)[Anxiety disorders and OCD](https://niyora.com/research/topics/comorbidity-anxiety-disorders/)[Quality of life and daily functioning](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-quality-of-life/)[Adolescents and young people](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-adolescents/) 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, 2008 Can the Sheehan Disability Scale measure whether treatments work? Study, 2026 What are premenstrual syndrome and premenstrual dysphoric disorder? Survey study, 2024 How common are PMS and PMDD in young Turkish women and what factors are linked to them? Cohort study, 2023 Are premenstrual disorders linked to depression, anxiety, and self-harm in teenage girls? Randomised trial, 2013 Does psychological education reduce PMS symptoms in teenagers? Survey study, 2012 What psychiatric conditions are linked to PMDD in Korean women? Ask AI about this page Copy prompt ChatGPT ↗ Claude ↗ Perplexity ↗ Google AI Mode ↗ Grok ↗