--- title: How does PMDD affect women's daily lives? | Niyora description: Women with PMDD report that their symptoms severely disrupt relationships, work, education, and self-image during the premenstrual phase. Healthcare providers url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/the-emotional-experiences-of-women-suffering-from-premenstrual-dysphoric-2024/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - How does PMDD affect women's daily lives? Study, 2024 # How does PMDD affect women's daily lives? Women with PMDD report that their symptoms severely disrupt relationships, work, education, and self-image during the premenstrual phase. Healthcare providers often lack understanding of the condition. Early or limited evidence 15 women in the UK with PMDD ## What they did The study recruited 15 women from a UK PMDD patient group and screened them using a questionnaire. Researchers conducted individual interviews with each woman on Zoom, transcribed the recordings, and analyzed them to find common themes. ## What they found The analysis identified 4 main themes: the overwhelming nature of symptoms during the cycle, the impact on daily life, how women cope, and experiences with healthcare. Symptoms appear during the premenstrual phase and disappear when menstruation begins, severely affecting relationships, careers, education, and sense of self. ## What it means for you This study shows that PMDD causes serious disruption to women's lives and that healthcare providers often lack understanding. The main limitation is that only women in the UK were interviewed, so findings may not apply to other countries. 15 women interviewed 4 main themes identified ## About the study Original title The Emotional Experiences of Women Suffering From Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder in the United Kingdom Authors Al-Hassan N, Hockham C, Matthews L et al. Journal BJPsych open Year 2024 Study design Study What was tested None - this is a qualitative observational study Open access Yes Read the paper [doi.org/10.1192/bjo.2024.103](https://doi.org/10.1192/bjo.2024.103) Original abstract Aims 1) To hear directly from women suffering from PMDD about their lived experiences of PMDD and the impacts that it has on their daily lives. 2) To raise awareness about the impacts that PMDD can have on patients' quality of life, relationships, and productivity, to improve clinicians’ understanding of patients' needs. 3) To identify a gap in research into PMDD within the UK and highlight the need for further research. 4) To improve awareness of PMDD amongst diverse stakeholders, including women who are not yet diagnosed with PMDD, employers, and policymakers. Methods Participants were recruited from the UK's PMDD Patient Insight Group and screened using the Premenstrual Symptom Screening Tool (PSST) for PMDD. Eligible participants were purposively sampled, and 15 participants were invited to a semi-structured scheduled interview on Zoom. Interviews were transcribed using NVivo transcription software, and inductively analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis in NVivo 14. Results Thirteen subthemes were identified and organised around four main themes: Theme 1: ‘Jekyll and Hyde’, Life with PMDD, Theme 2: ‘The Aftermath’, The Impact of Living with PMDD, Theme 3: ‘Surviving PMDD’, Coping Strategies, and Theme 4: ‘Seeking Treatment’, Experiences with Healthcare. The themes identified in this study highlight the negative experiences of women living with debilitating symptoms that appear during the luteal phase and disappear following the onset of menstruation. Themes also capture the immense burden PMDD places on a sufferer by uncovering how exactly these symptoms affect interpersonal relationships, career progression, quality of education received, and relationship with oneself. Theme 4 focuses on women's negative experiences with healthcare stemming from a lack of awareness of PMDD in the medical community. Conclusion The findings of this study highlight the critical importance of understanding the contextualized experiences of women living with PMDD in the UK and bringing to light the immense monthly burden sufferers face. To prevent women and Assigned Female At Birth (AFAB) individuals from experiencing severe and prolonged psychological distress which can have fatal consequences, there needs to be greater understanding and awareness of PMDD in both medical and lay communities. In addition to this, clinicians must be trained in PMDD assessment and research should be encouraged to introduce new treatments and to implement policies that minimize the burden of PMDD in the workplace. Reproduced under CC-BY. ## Topics [Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pmdd/)[Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Quality of life and daily functioning](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-quality-of-life/)[Relationships and partners](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-relationships/)[Stigma, attitudes and culture](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-stigma-culture/)[Work and productivity](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-work/)[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 Study, 2026 What are premenstrual syndrome and premenstrual dysphoric disorder? Survey study, 2026 Why is understanding PMS awareness in teenage girls important? Study, 2026 How does PMDD affect women's work and careers? Survey study, 2022 How do premenstrual syndrome and premenstrual dysphoric disorder affect quality of life? Survey study, 2021 What is the prevalence of PMDD and how does it affect quality of life in female students? 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 ↗