Characteristics of women seeking treatment for premenstrual syndrome in Taiwan.
OBJECTIVE
To analyze the characteristics of 150 women who visited a premenstrual syndrome (PMS) clinic in a Taiwanese medical center staffed by both psychiatrists and gynecologists.


METHODS
All subjects were interviewed and assessed for premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) using DSM-IV criteria, a PMS questionnaire, and the structured Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI). Where PMDD was suspected, subjects were followed using a daily symptom record.


RESULTS
A total of 110 subjects (73%) met the ICD-10 criteria for PMS. The most common PMS symptoms were minor psychological discomfort, muscular tension, and aches or pains. For 129 subjects (86%), other concurrent psychiatric disorders were diagnosed using the MINI. Of these, 48 (37%) reported premenstrual exacerbation (PME) of a previously diagnosed psychiatric condition.


CONCLUSIONS
The results of this study indicate that women who complain of PMS may be at a high risk of other psychiatric dysfunction, especially mood disorder. Further, the high proportion of PME cases determined in this study suggests that further investigation is required.
Department of Psychiatry, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and Chang Gung University School of Medicine, Tao-yuan, Taiwan.
Mei-Chun
MC
Hsiao
Chia-Yih
CY
Liu
Kuang-Chao
KC
Chen
T'sang-T'ang
TT
Hsieh
D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D019964:Mood Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care; D011293:Premenstrual Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013624:Taiwan / Q000453:epidemiology