Skip to main content
NCBI home page
CMAJ : Canadian Medical Association Journal logoLink to CMAJ : Canadian Medical Association Journal
. 1986 Sep 15;135(6):601–608.

Legal implications of premenstrual syndrome: a Canadian perspective.

E Meehan, K MacRae
PMCID: PMC1491301  PMID: 3756691

Abstract

A summary of the symptoms, prevalence and history of premenstrual syndrome (PMS) is presented. The legal implications of PMS, particularly its use as a defence in criminal prosecutions and as an implicit factor in specific offences, are discussed by means of an analysis of Canadian legal cases, with reference to those in England and the United States. The authors offer suggestions on how physicians can make use of PMS in a courtroom more reliable. They conclude that PMS is unlikely to become a substantive criminal defence until the medical community more fully recognizes its significance. Although the role of PMS as a mitigating factor in sentencing may be illogical, the courts now recognize the syndrome in a legally and practically important manner.

Full text

PDF
601

Images in this article

602p602-a
on p.602

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. BICKERS W., WOODS M. Premenstrual tension; rational treatment. Tex Rep Biol Med. 1951;9(3):406–419. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. DALTON K. Menstruation and acute psychiatric illnesses. Br Med J. 1959 Jan 17;1(5115):148–149. doi: 10.1136/bmj.1.5115.148. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. DALTON K. Menstruation and crime. Br Med J. 1961 Dec 30;2(5269):1752–1753. doi: 10.1136/bmj.2.5269.1752. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Dalton K. Cyclical criminal acts in premenstrual syndrome. Lancet. 1980 Nov 15;2(8203):1070–1071. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(80)92286-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Dalton K. The influence of the mother's health on her child. Proc R Soc Med. 1966 Oct;59(10):1014–1016. doi: 10.1177/003591576605901035. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. FERGUSON J. H., VERMILLION M. B. Premenstrual tension; two surveys of its prevalance and a description of the syndrome. Obstet Gynecol. 1957 May;9(5):615–619. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Glass G. S., Heninger G. R., Lansky M., Talan K. Psychiatric emergency related to the menstrual cycle. Am J Psychiatry. 1971 Dec;128(6):705–711. doi: 10.1176/ajp.128.6.705. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. LAMB W. M., ULETT G. A., MASTERS W. H., ROBINSON D. E. Premenstrual tension: EEG, hormonal, and psychiatric evaluation. Am J Psychiatry. 1953 May;109(11):840–848. doi: 10.1176/ajp.109.11.840. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. MORTON J. H., ADDITON H., ADDISON R. G., HUNT L., SULLIVAN J. J. A clinical study of premenstrual tension. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 1953 Jun;65(6):1182–1191. doi: 10.1016/0002-9378(53)90358-5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. OLECK H. L. Legal aspects of premenstrual tension. Int Rec Med Gen Pract Clin. 1953 Nov;166(11):492–501. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Pallis D. J., Holding T. A. The menstrual cycle and suicidal intent. J Biosoc Sci. 1976 Jan;8(1):27–33. doi: 10.1017/s0021932000010427. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Reid R. L., Yen S. S. The premenstrual syndrome. Clin Obstet Gynecol. 1983 Sep;26(3):710–718. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Rose R. M., Abplanalp J. M. The premenstrual syndrome. Hosp Pract (Off Ed) 1983 Jun;18(6):129–141. doi: 10.1080/21548331.1983.11702572. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Rubin P. Carcinoma of the breast. Stage II--radiation range. Introduction: the place of radiation therapy in operable breast cancer. JAMA. 1967 Apr 10;200(2):132–133. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. SHABANAH E. H. Treatment of premenstrual tension. Obstet Gynecol. 1963 Jan;21:49–54. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. SUAREZ-MURIAS E. L. The psychophysiologic syndrome of premenstrual tension with emphasis on the psychiatric aspect. Int Rec Med Gen Pract Clin. 1953 Nov;166(11):475–486. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. VAINDER M. Theory and rationale in the treatment of premenstrual tension and dysmenorrhea. Ind Med Surg. 1951 Apr;20(4):199–201. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. d'Orbán P. T., Dalton J. Violent crime and the menstrual cycle. Psychol Med. 1980 May;10(2):353–359. doi: 10.1017/s0033291700044123. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from CMAJ: Canadian Medical Association Journal are provided here courtesy of Canadian Medical Association

RESOURCES