Randomised trial, 2000
Does sertraline improve how women with PMDD feel and function?
Yes. Sertraline was clearly better than placebo at improving how women with PMDD functioned and their quality of life, and improvements appeared by the second month of treatment.
What they did
Randomly assigned 243 women with PMDD to take either sertraline or placebo for 3 menstrual cycles. Women first completed one cycle on placebo. Researchers measured social functioning, quality of life, and daily symptoms.
What they found
Before treatment, women with PMDD had normal functioning during the first half of their cycle but had functioning similar to women with depression during the second half. Sertraline improved social functioning, quality of life, and three specific symptoms: reduced productivity, interference with friends, and interference with relationships. Women who got much better were more likely to have better functioning at the start and showed larger improvements than those who only partially improved. Improvements were clear by the second cycle.
What it means for you
Sertraline helps women with PMDD feel and function better, with benefits appearing quickly. The study shows how much the second half of the cycle affects women with PMDD, but only tested this medication in university settings.
243
women studied
3
treatment cycles
12
university sites
About the study
- Original title
- Psychosocial functioning in women with premenstrual dysphoric disorder before and after treatment with sertraline or placebo
- Authors
- Pearlstein TB, Halbreich U, Batzar ED et al.
- Journal
- The Journal of clinical psychiatry
- Year
- 2000
- Study design
- Randomised trial
- What was tested
- Sertraline vs placebo for 3 menstrual cycles
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.4088/jcp.v61n0205
Topics
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