Survey study, 1988
Do depressive symptoms cluster into patterns including a premenstrual syndrome pattern?
Yes. Statistical analysis identified five symptom patterns: one matching major depression and another in younger women as premenstrual syndrome. This explains the gap between reported depression symptoms and diagnoses.
What they did
This was a secondary data analysis. Researchers analyzed 406 people from the Epidemiologic Catchment Area study in North Carolina who reported depressive symptoms. They used a multivariate statistical method to identify natural groupings of symptoms.
What they found
Five distinct symptom profiles emerged from the analysis. One profile matched the DSM-III major depression diagnosis. Other profiles identified a premenstrual syndrome pattern in younger women and a mixed anxiety-depression pattern. These patterns explain the gap between reported depression symptoms and formal diagnosis rates.
What it means for you
PMS may present as a pattern of depression-like symptoms that doesn't match standard major depression criteria, especially in younger women. This may explain why many people report feeling depressed but are not diagnosed with clinical depression. The study is limited to North Carolina and is a secondary analysis, not original research.
406
People with depressive symptoms analyzed
5
Distinct symptom patterns identified
About the study
- Original title
- Depressive symptoms and depressive diagnoses in a community population. Use of a new procedure for analysis of psychiatric classification
- Authors
- Blazer D, Swartz M, Woodbury M et al.
- Journal
- Archives of general psychiatry
- Year
- 1988
- Study design
- Survey study
- Participants
- 406
- What was tested
- None
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1001/archpsyc.1988.01800360026004
Topics
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