Premenstrual Syndrome and Psychiatric Co-morbidities.

Abstract

Objective: Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) is a common disorder with prevalence rate of approximately 30%; its concurrence with psychiatric symptoms will make it a disabling condition that resists usual treatment. Objective: This study was enrolled to assess the co-morbidity of PMS and psychiatric disorders in a sample of girls with PMS compared to those without PMS. Material and method : This study was conducted through a cross sectional method with 362 participants (166 with PMS and 196 healthy girls) who were selected randomly and completed the demographic questionnaire, premenstrual syndrome symptom daily record scale and the symptom checklist 90-revised (SCL-90-R). Result: According to the result of the independent t test, the mean score of all the psychiatric symptoms in the PMS group was significantly higher than those in healthy group (P<0.001). According to SCL-90-R measurement, most of the participants in the PMS group were categorized as extremely sick for somatization (44%) ,obsessive-compulsive (59%), depression (58.4%), anxiety (64.5%), hostility (47%) and psychoticism (69.3%); most of the participants were diagnosed as having borderline severity of disorders for interpersonal sensitivity (44.6%) and paranoid (42.8%) and most of the respondents with PMS (46.4%) were diagnosed as healthy only for phobic anxiety. Conclusion: There is a considerable relationship between PMS and different psychiatric symptoms that can complicate the diagnosis of PMS and its treatment for the health care providers. Therefore, all health care providers who are in contact with women in their reproductive age should be sensitive to mental health status in women with PMS.