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Interview study, 2024

What is it like to live with PMDD?

People with PMDD experience a cycle of severe symptoms affecting their whole body, face major challenges getting diagnosed and treated, and often hide their symptoms from others.

Early or limited evidence 10 people with PMDD in Canada

What they did

Researchers interviewed 10 people with PMDD in Canada about their lived experiences and analyzed the main themes that came up in their stories.

What they found

Three main patterns emerged. First, a repeating cycle of symptoms affecting the whole body, including thoughts of suicide. Second, problems being diagnosed by doctors and feeling mistreated by the medical system. Third, hiding or masking their symptoms from others.

What it means for you

This captures the real-world experience of PMDD including how severe it is and the burden of not being recognized or diagnosed properly. The main limit is that it was a small study of only 10 people, so experiences may vary.

10

people interviewed

3

main themes about living with PMDD

About the study

Original title
Off-Label: Lived, Embodied, and Temporal Experiences of Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD) in Canada
Authors
Serena Habib, K. Alysse Bailey, Meridith Griffin
Journal
Women s Reproductive Health
Year
2024
Study design
Interview study
Participants
10
Open access
Yes

Topics