--- title: Does depression affect whether a screening tool accurately identifies PMS? description: Yes. A screening tool for PMS overidentified PMS in depressed women compared to tracking daily symptoms. Women with depression may report more PMS symptoms on url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/the-influence-of-depression-on-biased-diagnosis-of-premenstrual-syndrome-and-2021/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - Does depression affect whether a screening tool accurately identifies PMS? Case-control study, 2021 # Does depression affect whether a screening tool accurately identifies PMS? Yes. A screening tool for PMS overidentified PMS in depressed women compared to tracking daily symptoms. Women with depression may report more PMS symptoms on a screening tool than they actually experience day-to-day. Moderate study design 215 women aged 20-35 ## What they did Researchers gave 215 women aged 20-35 a screening tool for PMS, had them track daily symptoms for two full menstrual cycles, tested them for depression, and measured their depression symptoms. ## What they found The screening tool diagnosed more PMS cases in depressed women than daily symptom tracking showed. When looking at daily symptoms, fatigue, low mood, feeling overwhelmed, anxiety, and lack of interest in activities were the strongest signs of PMS. ## What it means for you Screening tools for PMS can give misleading results in women with depression. Doctors should be aware that depressed women may report more PMS symptoms on a screening questionnaire than they actually experience over their cycle. Daily tracking may be more accurate. 215 women studied 20-35 age range in years ## About the study Original title The Influence of Depression on Biased Diagnosis of Premenstrual Syndrome and Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder by the PSST Inventory Authors Śliwerski A, Koszałkowska K Journal Life (Basel, Switzerland) Year 2021 Study design Case-control study Open access Yes Read the paper [doi.org/10.3390/life11111278](https://doi.org/10.3390/life11111278) Original abstract The diagnosis of premenstrual syndrome (PMS) and premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) poses a challenge for clinicians due to the overdiagnosis of retrospective methods and overlapping symptoms with depression. The present study utilized an Item Response Theory analysis to examine the predictive utility of the Premenstrual Symptom Screening Tool (PSST) in women with and without depression. Two hundred and fifteen women aged 20-35 completed the PSST, a daily symptom calendar, SCID-I, and CES-D for two consecutive menstrual cycles. PSST items: fatigue, depressed mood, feeling overwhelmed, anxiety/tension, and decreased interest in everyday activities were the best predictors of PMS. Unlike the daily symptom ratings, the PSST over-diagnosed PMS/PMDD in the depressed group but not in the group of women without PMS/PMDD. While diagnosing premenstrual disorders, clinicians should be aware that a retrospective diagnosis with PSST can be more sensitive to mood disorders and cycle phases than a prospective diagnosis with a daily symptoms calendar. Reproduced under CC-BY. ## Topics [Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pmdd/)[Menstrual cycle and mood](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-cycle-mood/)[Low mood and depression](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-depression-mood/)[Anxiety and tension](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-anxiety/) 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 Randomised trial, 1995 Does fluoxetine help premenstrual dysphoria? Study, 2026 Do anxiety and depression get worse before your period if you already have a mental health condition? Study, 2026 What are premenstrual syndrome and premenstrual dysphoric disorder? Survey study, 2023 Is PMDD diagnosis associated with more severe depression and anxiety and lower well-being? Survey study, 2023 How common are PMS, PMDD, anxiety, and depression in rural adolescent girls? Survey study, 2022 Do stress and rumination increase with PMS severity? Ask AI about this page Copy prompt ChatGPT ↗ Claude ↗ Perplexity ↗ Google AI Mode ↗ Grok ↗