Issues in the identification of premenstrual syndromes.
Lack of information about the natural history of the premenstrual syndromes may make efforts regarding classification and treatment misguided. Thus, we report a naturalistic and noninstrusive approach to the problem of identification of the premenstrual syndromes, with particular focus on the issue of compliance with 2 months of daily prospective recordkeeping. Seventy-nine patients presenting for treatment of severe premenstrual symptoms were evaluated with a structured interview, psychological tests, and 2 months of daily prospective ratings of their symptoms. Weekly group follow-up meetings were held to foster compliance with recordkeeping. The typical woman seeking treatment for premenstrual symptoms in this study was middle-aged, highly educated, highly functioning, living in an urban setting, either married with children and family responsibilities or single and living alone, and supporting herself by a high-level job. She was anxious and depressed with multiple medical and gynecological problems. Despite a highly stressful life, she functioned at a very high level, but had consulted mental health professionals in the past. In general, she did not want medication. Consistent with other reports, only 20% of women seeking treatment for premenstrual symptoms had a premenstrual syndrome prospectively confirmed on the basis of 2 months of daily ratings. However, 81% of those with a prospectively confirmed premenstrual syndrome stated that after the 2-month evaluation period their symptoms no longer interfered with their functioning.
Gise
L H
LH
Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, New York 10029.
Lebovits
A H
AH
Paddison
P L
PL
Strain
J J
JJ
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008499:Medical Records; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis; D008875:Middle Aged; D010349:Patient Compliance; D010555:Personality Inventory; D011293:Premenstrual Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011581:Psychological Tests