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Relationships between age and symptom severity among women seeking medical treatment for premenstrual symptoms

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 July 2009

E. W. Freeman ,
K. Rickels ,
E. Schweizer  and
T. Ting
E. W. Freeman*
Affiliation:
Departments of Obstetrics/Gynecology and Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA
K. Rickels
Affiliation:
Departments of Obstetrics/Gynecology and Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA
E. Schweizer
Affiliation:
Departments of Obstetrics/Gynecology and Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA
T. Ting
Affiliation:
Departments of Obstetrics/Gynecology and Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA
*
1Address for correspondence: Dr Ellen W. Freeman, Department of Obstetrics/Gynecology, University of Pennsylvania Medical Center, 3400 Spruce Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
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Synopsis

Age at the time of seeking treatment for premenstrual symptoms (PMS) was examined in a sample of 332 women who reported severe distress and met criteria for Late Luteal Phase Dysphoric Disorder (LLPDD). The mean age of the sample was 33·1 (±5·3) years. Severity of symptoms decreased with age and was not associated with the duration of symptoms. Depression-related factors were associated with the severity of PMS, and together with the duration of symptoms, were the best discriminators between the younger (ages 20–35) and older (ages 36–44) women in this sample. These data suggest that the years of the late twenties through mid-thirties are the most vulnerable time for distressing PMS and fail to support the clinical premise that PMS worsens with age until menopause. Further longitudinal study should be conducted to confirm and extend these findings.

Type
Original Articles
Information
Psychological Medicine , Volume 25 , Issue 2 , March 1995 , pp. 309 - 315
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1995

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