Table 1.
The classification of premenstrual disorders (adapted from O’Brien, 2011—note, this classification was misaligned in the table of the first publication)
| Premenstrual disorder category | Characteristics |
|---|---|
| Core premenstrual disordera (PMD) | Symptoms occur in ovulatory cycles |
| Symptoms are not specified—they may be somatic and/or psychological | |
| Symptoms are absent after menstruation and before ovulation | |
| Symptoms recur in luteal phase | |
| Symptoms must be prospectively rated (two cycles minimum) | |
| Symptoms must cause significant impairment (work, school, social activities, hobbies, interpersonal relationships, distress) | |
| Variants PMDs | |
| Premenstrual exacerbation | Symptoms of an underlying psychological, somatic or medical disorder significantly worsen premenstrually |
| PMD due to non-ovulatory ovarian activity (rare) | Symptoms result from ovarian activity other than those of ovulation |
| Progestogen-induced PMDb | Symptoms result from exogenous progestogen administration |
| PMD with absent menstruation | Symptoms arise from continued ovarian activity even though menstruation has been suppressed |
a
Core premenstrual disorder can subdivided into (1) predominantly somatic symptoms, (2) predominantly psychological symptoms or (3) mixed somatic and psychological symptoms. A sub-group of women with predominantly psychological symptoms, with or without somatic symptoms, may also fulfil DSM-IV criteria for premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) and the proposed DSM-5 criteria (American Psychiatric Association, 2000). This represents consensus reached at the second meeting
b
Onset of symptoms after initiation of progestogen treatment