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Study, 2009

Can the standard mental health diagnostic interview assess PMS and PMDD adequately?

No. The standard interview does not assess PMS, PMDD, or other women-specific mental health conditions. New diagnostic modules were developed to address this gap.

Early or limited evidence No patient population—this is a tool development paper

What they did

A team of experts from Canada and Germany designed new diagnostic modules to add to the standard WHO mental health interview. The new modules were specifically created to assess women's mental health conditions during different reproductive stages.

What they found

Four new modules were developed: (1) a complete menstrual and contraceptive history linked to a screening tool for premenstrual symptoms; (2) a complete pregnancy history including miscarriage, termination, and postpartum mental health; (3) a detailed hormone therapy history for women in midlife; and (4) a module to track how mental disorders change across reproductive stages.

What it means for you

This new tool allows mental health doctors to assess PMS, PMDD, and other conditions that affect women differently during certain reproductive stages. The main limitation is that this describes tool development, not research results about how well the tool works.

About the study

Original title
New women-specific diagnostic modules: the Composite International Diagnostic Interview for Women (CIDI-VENUS)
Authors
Martini J, Wittchen HU, Soares CN et al.
Journal
Archives of women's mental health
Year
2009
Study design
Study
What was tested
CIDI-VENUS, a new diagnostic interview
Open access
Yes

Topics