---
title: How should doctors diagnose PMS and PMDD? | Niyora
description: Definitions and diagnoses of PMS are not consistent across doctors. Up to 20% of women have PMS severe enough to need treatment, with a burden as significant
url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/the-diagnosis-of-premenstrual-syndromes-and-premenstrual-dysphoric-disorder-2004/
---

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- How should doctors diagnose PMS and PMDD?

Review, 2004

# How should doctors diagnose PMS and PMDD?

Definitions and diagnoses of PMS are not consistent across doctors. Up to 20% of women have PMS severe enough to need treatment, with a burden as significant as mood disorders.

 Moderate study design

Review article (not a study of specific patients)

## What they did

This review article examined how PMS and PMDD are currently defined and diagnosed in clinical practice and research.

## What they found

Current definitions and diagnoses of PMS are fragmented and not widely agreed upon. Up to 20% of women experience PMS severe enough to require treatment, with cumulative impact similar in magnitude to affective disorders.

## What it means for you

Medicine needs clearer, more consistent definitions of PMS so women get reliable diagnoses and consistent care. This is a review of existing approaches rather than a study of patients.

up to 20%

Women with PMS severe enough to need treatment

## About the study

Original title The diagnosis of premenstrual syndromes and premenstrual dysphoric disorder--clinical procedures and research perspectives Authors Halbreich U Journal Gynecological endocrinology : the official journal of the International Society of Gynecological Endocrinology Year 2004 Study design Review What was tested None (review article) Open access Yes Read the paper [doi.org/10.1080/0951590400018215](https://doi.org/10.1080/0951590400018215)

## Topics

[Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pmdd/)[Low mood and depression](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-depression-mood/)

Research tells you what helps on average. Niyora helps on the day it hits.

Calm down, see it another way, and decide what to say, with a PMS and PMDD app built by a doctor.

## Related studies

Cohort study, 2026

What genetic factors are linked to premenstrual symptoms?

Systematic review, 2026

How often do mood disorders and PMS or PMDD occur together?

Systematic review, 2026

Does vitamin D supplementation help PMS symptoms?

Study, 2026

How do women with PMDD process emotions differently in their brains?

Systematic review, 2026

Why do some women experience mood changes linked to their menstrual cycle?

Systematic review, 2026

How much of PMDD treatment improvement comes from placebo effect?

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