Survey study, 2001
How common is premenstrual dysphoric disorder and how is it related to other psychiatric conditions?
About 75-85% of women report some premenstrual symptoms, but only 10-15% seek care and 2-5% experience serious disruption to work or social life. PMS may worsen other psychiatric conditions.
What they did
Reviewed studies on diagnosis, prevalence, and psychiatric aspects of premenstrual syndrome. Examined how diagnostic criteria affect prevalence rates and explored connections to other psychiatric disorders.
What they found
Prevalence varies by diagnostic criteria used. Lifetime prevalence with any symptoms: 75-85%. Medical care sought: 10-15%. Serious impairment stopping social activities: 2-5%. Serotonin dysregulation is most studied as a cause. PMS worsens obsessive-compulsive disorder, alcoholism symptoms, schizophrenia, and increases suicide attempts. Studies give mixed results about whether PMS increases depression risk.
What it means for you
How you measure PMS dramatically changes how common it appears. The real concern is serious impairment, not just having symptoms. Serotonin problems and estrogen's effects on them are suspected main causes. But research findings about psychiatric connections are mixed. This review combined many different studies of varying quality.
75-85%
Women with any premenstrual symptoms
10-15%
Seeking medical care
2-5%
Experiencing work or social impairment
About the study
- Original title
- [Psychiatric and psychological aspects of premenstrual syndrome]
- Authors
- Limosin F, Ades J
- Journal
- L'Encephale
- Year
- 2001
- Study design
- Survey study
- What was tested
- Not applicable - literature review
- Read the paper
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11865558/
Topics
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