---
title: What PMS symptoms do women experience even when not seeking treatment?
description: Most women have some premenstrual symptoms. The most common are depressive symptoms (65%), physical discomfort (61.7%), and fluid retention (53.4%). Only 20.3
url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/towards-a-definition-of-pms-a-factor-analytic-evaluation-of-premenstrual-change-1990/
---

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- What PMS symptoms do women experience even when not seeking treatment?

Cohort study, 1990

# What PMS symptoms do women experience even when not seeking treatment?

Most women have some premenstrual symptoms. The most common are depressive symptoms (65%), physical discomfort (61.7%), and fluid retention (53.4%). Only 20.3% had no negative symptoms.

 Moderate study design

133 women not seeking or using treatment for PMS

## What they did

133 women who were not seeking treatment for PMS filled out a 95-item questionnaire about their premenstrual symptoms.

## What they found

Only 27 women (20.3%) had no negative symptoms. Most common syndromes were: depressive syndromes in 87 women (65%), general physical discomfort in 82 (61.7%), and fluid retention in 71 (53.4%).

## What it means for you

Most women experience some PMS symptoms naturally, so researchers need clearer definitions of what counts as a disorder versus normal menstrual variation. This establishes a baseline for comparison in treatment studies.

133

women studied

20.3%

with no symptoms

65%

with depressive symptoms

## About the study

Original title Towards a definition of PMS: a factor analytic evaluation of premenstrual change in non-complaining women Authors Yuk VJ, Jugdutt AV, Cumming CE et al. Journal Journal of psychosomatic research Year 1990 Study design Cohort study Participants 133 What was tested None. Observational study using questionnaire. Read the paper [doi.org/10.1016/0022-3999(90)90067-e](https://doi.org/10.1016/0022-3999(90)90067-e)

## Topics

[Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Low mood and depression](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-depression-mood/)[Anxiety and tension](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-anxiety/)[Bipolar disorder](https://niyora.com/research/topics/comorbidity-bipolar/)[Major depressive disorder](https://niyora.com/research/topics/comorbidity-major-depression/)

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

Study, 2026

Do anxiety and depression get worse before your period if you already have a mental health condition?

Randomised trial, 2020

How should premenstrual syndrome be diagnosed and treated?

Case report, 2013

Can severe mood changes around a period be an early sign of bipolar disorder?

Review, 1999

Do SSRI antidepressants work for PMDD?

Survey study, 1995

What's different about women who seek treatment for premenstrual mood changes?

Survey study, 1987

What psychiatric conditions are associated with premenstrual tension syndrome?

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