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.
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
Topics
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