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Survey study, 2021

What is the prevalence of PMDD and how does it affect quality of life in female students?

About 4.43% of female students had PMDD. Those with PMDD had significantly lower quality of life, especially in social relationships and at work. The evidence is clear for this group, but the study only included students in India.

Early or limited evidence 661 female medical and paramedical students in India

What they did

Cross-sectional study of 661 female medical and paramedical students using questionnaires to measure PMDD, quality of life, and work disability.

What they found

4.43% of students were diagnosed with PMDD. Of those with PMDD, 70.33% reported problems with work or school productivity and 36.23% reported problems with social activities. Women with PMDD had significantly lower quality of life scores, particularly in social relationships.

What it means for you

PMDD severely affects how women function at work and in social settings. The main limit is that the study only looked at students in India, so it may not apply elsewhere, and it cannot prove PMDD directly causes lower quality of life.

4.43%

prevalence of PMDD

70.33%

with work or school problems

36.23%

with social problems

About the study

Original title
Premenstrual dysphoric disorder: Prevalence, quality of life and disability due to illness among medical and paramedical students
Authors
Pooja Thakrar, Kalyani Bhukar, Rajat M. Oswal
Journal
Journal of Affective Disorders Reports
Year
2021
Study design
Survey study
Participants
661
What was tested
None
Open access
Yes

Topics