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Review, 1987

Should PMDD be a separate psychiatric diagnosis?

This was debated during development of the DSM-III-R. Some experts felt PMDD was a real but rare condition, while feminist groups worried that listing it as a psychiatric disorder would inappropriately label women as mentally ill.

Early or limited evidence Women with PMDD and participants in the diagnostic debate.

What they did

Review of the controversy that occurred during revision of the DSM-III-R regarding whether to include Premenstrual Phase Dysphoric Disorder as a separate psychiatric diagnosis.

What they found

Some scientists studying PMS felt it was a real disorder occurring relatively rarely. Significant disagreement existed about whether a psychiatric diagnosis would inappropriately label women as mentally ill or provide needed recognition.

What it means for you

Experts disagreed about whether recognizing PMDD as a psychiatric disorder would help women or stigmatize them. This is a review of a policy debate, not research evidence about PMS itself.

About the study

Original title
Premenstrual syndrome : ethical and legal implications in a biomedical perspective
Authors
Benson E. Ginsburg, Bonnie Frank Carter
Journal
DigitalGeorgetown (Georgetown University Library)
Year
1987
Study design
Review
What was tested
Not applicable - this is about diagnostic classification

Topics