Clinical diagnostic criteria for premenstrual syndrome and guidelines for their quantification for research studies.
Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) encompasses a variety of symptoms appearing during the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle. Although PMS is widely recognized, the etiology remains unclear and it lacks definitive, universally accepted diagnostic criteria. To address these issues an international multidisciplinary group of experts evaluated the current definitions and diagnostic criteria of PMS and premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD). Following extensive correspondence, a consensus meeting was held with the aim of producing updated diagnostic criteria for PMS and guidelines for clinical and research applications. This report presents the conclusions and recommendations of the group. It is hoped that the criteria proposed by the group will become widely accepted and eventually be incorporated into the next edition of the World Health Organization's International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11). It is also hoped that the proposed guidelines for quantification of criteria will be used by clinicians and investigators to facilitate diagnostic uniformity in the field as well as adequate treatment modalities when warranted.
Halbreich
Uriel
U
Departments of Psychiatry and Obstetrics and Gynecology, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY 14214, USA. urielh@buffalo.edu
Backstrom
Torbjorn
T
Eriksson
Elias
E
O'brien
Shawn
S
Calil
Helena
H
Ceskova
Eva
E
Dennerstein
Lorraine
L
Douki
Saida
S
Freeman
Ellen
E
Genazzani
Andrea
A
Heuser
Isabella
I
Kadri
Nadia
N
Rapkin
Andrea
A
Steiner
Meir
M
Wittchen
Hans-Ulrich
HU
Yonkers
Kimberly
K
D003697:Delphi Technique; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D011293:Premenstrual Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis*; D012107:Research Design / Q000706:statistics & numerical data