Prevalence of premenstrual syndrome and premenstrual dysphoric disorder among college students of Bhavnagar, Gujarat

Abstract

Background:Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) is a severe form of premenstrual syndrome (PMS) characterized by mood changes, anxiety, and somatic symptoms experienced during the specific time of menstrual cycle. Prevalence data of PMS and PMDD is sparse among college girls in India.Aims:The aim of this study is to study the prevalence of PMS and PMDD among college students of Bhavnagar (Gujarat), its associated demographic and menstrual factors, to rank common symptoms and compare premenstrual symptom screening tool (PSST) with Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV-TR defined PMDD (SCID-PMDD) for sensitivity and specificity.Materials and Methods:A cross-sectional survey was done in five colleges of Bhavnagar. Of 529 subjects approached, 489 college girls were finally analyzed for sociodemographic data, menstrual history, and PSST. SCID-PMDD was applied among those who were positive on PSST and 20% of those who were negative. The data were analyzed using OpenEpi Version 2. Chi-square test was done for qualitative variables and analysis of variance for quantitative variables. Sensitivity, specificity, and predictive values were calculated for PSST.Results:The prevalence of PMS was 18.4%. Moderate to severe PMS was 14.7% and PMDD was 3.7% according to DSM IV-TR and 91% according to International Classification of Diseases, 10th edition criteria. The symptoms commonly reported were “fatigue/lack of energy,” “decrease interest in work,” and “anger/irritability.” The most common functional impairment item was “school/work efficiency and productivity.” PSST has 90.9% sensitivity, 57.01% specificity, and 97.01% predictive value of negative test.Conclusion:Prevalence of PMS among college students is similar to other studies from Asia. PSST is a useful screening tool for PMS, and it should be confirmed by more specific tool as by SCID-PMDD. Routine screening with PSST can identify college girls who can improve with treatment.

Premenstrual syndrome and premenstrual dysphoric disorders among Jordanian women

“…It lacks, however, specific measures for the degree of severity. The premenstrual symptoms screening tool (PSST measures the level of impairment in premenstrual symptoms, on a scale of “not at all,” “mild,” “moderate,” and “severe.” This tool was used in several studies in different regions of the world …”

Síndrome pré-menstrual e transtorno disfórico pré-menstrual: a terapia cognitiva comportamental como tratamento

“…); 2) sintomas de humor (irritabilidade, tensão, alterações de humor, ansiedade, hipersensibilidade); 3) distúrbios cognitivos (diminuição da concentração, memória); estando estes classificados em níveis mínimo, suave, moderado e severo 33 . Outro eixo que pode estar envolvido na fisiopatologia da SPM é o hipotalâmico-hipofisário-suprarrenal, que pode agir na reprodução, apetite e sentimento de bemestar.…”

Sociodemographic Correlates of Psychological Symptoms of Premenstrual Syndrome

“…Deuster [15] reported prevalence of 7.4% in white & 10% in black women. Raval [16] reported moderate to severe PMS in 14.7% females whereas some studies report quite high prevalence of upto 51% [17] & 75%. [18] This difference in prevalence can be explained by difference in criteria used for diagnosis of PMS.…”