---
title: How much does the way we define PMS affect how many women are diagnosed with it?
description: Very significantly. Using two different diagnostic criteria on the same women gave prevalence rates of 44% and 17%, showing that the definition matters greatl
url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/premenstrual-syndrome-research-using-the-nimh-guidelines-1988/
---

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- How much does the way we define PMS affect how many women are diagnosed with it?

Guideline, 1988

# How much does the way we define PMS affect how many women are diagnosed with it?

Very significantly. Using two different diagnostic criteria on the same women gave prevalence rates of 44% and 17%, showing that the definition matters greatly.

 Early or limited evidence

Women in a prospective study (sample size not specified)

## What they did

Applied two different sets of diagnostic criteria based on 1983 National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) guidelines to data from a prospective study. Researchers used a Daily Rating Form (a symptom diary) to collect data.

## What they found

One set of criteria diagnosed PMS in 44% of women studied. A different set of criteria diagnosed PMS in only 17%. This shows that how you define PMS dramatically affects how many people appear to have it. The authors also discuss challenges in distinguishing PMS from other psychiatric disorders.

## What it means for you

How PMS is defined has a huge impact on how many women appear to have it. The authors highlight challenges in defining PMS and distinguishing it from other psychiatric disorders, which matters for research.

44

Percentage diagnosed with PMS using one criteria

17

Percentage diagnosed with PMS using different criteria

## About the study

Original title Premenstrual syndrome research: using the NIMH guidelines Authors Anderson M, Severino SK, Hurt SW et al. Journal The Journal of clinical psychiatry Year 1988 Study design Guideline Read the paper [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2848798/](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2848798/)

## Topics

[Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)

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