---
title: What do general practitioners think about PMS and women who have it?
description: Most doctors believed PMS has a hormonal cause. About half thought women with PMS are no different from other women, while some thought they were more hypocho
url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/attitudes-of-general-practitioners-towards-premenstrual-symptoms-and-those-who-1986/
---

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- What do general practitioners think about PMS and women who have it?

Survey study, 1986

# What do general practitioners think about PMS and women who have it?

Most doctors believed PMS has a hormonal cause. About half thought women with PMS are no different from other women, while some thought they were more hypochondriacal, introverted, and intelligent. We don't know if these doctors' beliefs were actually correct.

 Early or limited evidence

General practitioners in the UK.

## What they did

Researchers sent postal questionnaires to general practitioners asking about their views on premenstrual symptoms and women who experience them.

## What they found

Most doctors favored a hormonal explanation, with more female doctors than male doctors holding this view. The treatments doctors most recommended were progesterone analogues, pyridoxine, and diuretics. About half of doctors thought women with PMS were no different from women in general. Those who saw differences described these women as more likely to be hypochondriacal, introverted, intelligent, married, with small families, and from higher social classes. Doctors' views did not vary by their years of experience, practice location, or sex.

## What it means for you

This study shows what UK doctors believed about PMS in 1986. The main limitation is that it doesn't report how many doctors were surveyed, and it only tells us what doctors believed, not what is medically accurate.

about 50%

doctors who saw no difference between women with PMS and others

## About the study

Original title Attitudes of general practitioners towards premenstrual symptoms and those who suffer from them Authors Alexander DA, Taylor RJ, Fordyce ID Journal The Journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners Year 1986 Study design Survey study What was tested None. This was a survey of attitudes. Open access Yes Read the paper [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/3701685/](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/3701685/)

## Topics

[Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Vitamin B6](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-vitamin-b6/)[Diuretics and other drugs](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-diuretics-other-drugs/)[Stigma, attitudes and culture](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-stigma-culture/)[Diagnosis experience and healthcare access](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-healthcare-access/)

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

Systematic review, 2013

Does Vitex (chaste tree) help PMS and PMDD symptoms?

Systematic review, 2007

What treatments work for premenstrual syndrome?

Study, 2002

Which PMS treatments have good scientific evidence?

Review, 1999

Does vitamin B6 supplement help treat PMS symptoms?

Randomised trial, 1985

Does vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) help premenstrual syndrome?

Interview study, 2026

What prevents women from seeking doctor's help for PMS?

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