The epidemiology of perimenstrual psychological symptoms.

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this paper is to examine the prevalence, clinical significance and comorbidity of perimenstrual symptoms/syndrome (PERI-MS) in a community sample of women.

METHOD

Premenstrual and menstrual physical and psychological symptoms were assessed in a prospective longitudinal study of a representative community cohort of women (N=299) who were interviewed five times between the ages of 21 and 35 years.

RESULTS

When classified according to the severity of distress, the prevalence rates were 8.1% for severe and 13.6% for moderate PERI-MS, respectively. Clinical indicators of severity were all greater among PERI-MS women with than without depressed mood.

CONCLUSION

The results of this study suggest that irritability, nervousness and tension irrespective of the presence of concomitant depressed mood are core elements of the perimenstrual syndrome.