--- title: Is premenstrual syndrome a real, clearly defined medical condition? description: This historical review finds that the idea of PMS as a clear syndrome is uncertain. Symptoms have been recognised for decades, but they respond to placebo tre url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/the-premenstrual-syndrome-a-brief-history-1995/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - Is premenstrual syndrome a real, clearly defined medical condition? Survey study, 1995 # Is premenstrual syndrome a real, clearly defined medical condition? This historical review finds that the idea of PMS as a clear syndrome is uncertain. Symptoms have been recognised for decades, but they respond to placebo treatments as well as active ones, and some researchers doubt the term 'syndrome' is justified. Early or limited evidence General discussion of women experiencing premenstrual symptoms, not a specific study group ## What they did This paper traces the history of how the idea of PMS developed, looking at how doctors and the public have described premenstrual symptoms over time. It is a conceptual and historical review, not a new study of women with the condition. ## What they found The review states that premenstrual symptoms have been recognised by doctors and in general culture for a little more than 60 years, while the notion that they form a clinical 'syndrome' is exactly 40 years old. Symptoms are described as mainly psychological, with emotional, physical and behavioural parts, and their cause is not known. How common the symptoms are varies widely between cultural groups, and symptoms appear to respond to placebo treatments as effectively as to active ones. The evidence supporting PMS as a clearly defined condition is unclear, and some researchers are very sceptical about using the term 'syndrome'. ## What it means for you This paper is a historical and conceptual discussion rather than a study of a specific group of women, so it cannot tell us how well any treatment works. Its main message is that the scientific basis for PMS as a distinct, well defined syndrome has long been debated. 60 years Years premenstrual symptoms have been recognised 40 years Age of the 'syndrome' concept ## About the study Original title The premenstrual syndrome: a brief history Authors Richardson JT Journal Social science & medicine (1982) Year 1995 Study design Survey study What was tested None, this is a review of the history and concept of PMS Read the paper [doi.org/10.1016/0277-9536(95)00042-6](https://doi.org/10.1016/0277-9536(95)00042-6) ## Topics [Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Stigma, attitudes and culture](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-stigma-culture/) 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 Case-control study, 2026 Do women with PMS handle emotions differently at different times of the cycle? Systematic review, 2025 Does teaching adolescent girls about their menstrual cycle and health help reduce period pain and PMS? Cohort study, 2023 Is PMDD a valid medical diagnosis? Systematic review, 2012 Does the menstrual cycle cause negative mood, especially before your period? Survey study, 2011 What premenstrual symptoms do women experience around the world and how much do they affect daily life? Randomised trial, 2006 What herbs and dietary supplements have evidence for treating premenstrual syndrome? Ask AI about this page Copy prompt ChatGPT ↗ Claude ↗ Perplexity ↗ Google AI Mode ↗ Grok ↗