title: Lifetime discrimination associated with greater likelihood of premenstrual dysphoric disorder.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate whether the stressor of perceived discrimination was associated with premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) and premenstrual symptoms among minority women. This study builds on previous research that found perceived discrimination was positively associated with other psychiatric illnesses.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants were 2718 Asian, Latina, and black premenopausal women aged 18-40 years who completed the World Mental Health Composite International Diagnostic Interview for the National Latino and Asian American Survey or the National Survey of American Life. Perceived discrimination was assessed with the Everyday Discrimination Scale. DSM-IV-based diagnostic algorithms generated a provisional lifetime diagnosis of PMDD.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Eighty-three percent of the participants reported experiencing discrimination (due to race, gender, age, height or weight, or other reasons) in their lifetimes. The frequency of perceived discrimination was positively associated with PMDD (odds ratio [OR] 1.08, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.05-1.10) and premenstrual symptoms (OR 1.04, 95% CI 1.02-1.05), independent of demographic covariates and social desirability. Women reporting gender discrimination (OR 5.18, 95% CI 1.80-14.90), race discrimination (OR 4.14, 95% CI 1.54-11.11), and other forms of discrimination (OR 6.43, 95% CI 2.11-19.65) were significantly more likely than women without experiences of discrimination to have PMDD. Subtle discrimination was more strongly associated with PMDD (OR 1.12, 95% CI 1.01-1.23) than was blatant discrimination (OR 1.04, 95% CI 0.94-1.15).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study is the first to demonstrate that perceived discrimination is associated with PMDD and premenstrual symptoms. These findings suggest that the prevalence of these conditions may be lessened by reducing discrimination in women's lives.
authors.affiliation: VA CT Healthcare System, National Center for PTSD, 950 Campbell Avenue, West Haven, CT 06516, USA. corey.pilver@yale.edu
authors.forename: Corey E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Pilver
authors.forename: Rani
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Desai
authors.forename: Stanislav
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kasl
authors.forename: Becca R
authors.initials: BR
authors.lastname: Levy
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000341:Affective Disorders, Psychotic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology*; D005006:Ethnicity / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D011287:Prejudice; D011293:Premenstrual Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D012938:Social Perception; D055815:Young Adult