King's College London

Take Part: We are inviting individuals with Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD) to take part in an online research interview

Towards Better Outcomes for Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD) is a collaborative research project between The Policy Institute, the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, and the Department of Women and Children’s Health at King’s College London, alongside charity partners The PMDD Project and Wellbeing of Women. It brings together clinical, social science, and policy expertise to understand how to shape policy and practice in ways that can improve outcomes for people affected by PMDD.

PMDD is a mental health condition that affects at least 115 million people who menstruate globally. It can be considered a severe form of premenstrual syndrome, with debilitating mental, physical, emotional and behavioural symptoms during the 2-week premenstrual (luteal) phase of the menstrual cycle.^1-2 

Research is shedding light on the hormonal mechanisms underlying PMDD, which has informed treatments including antidepressant medications, hormonal contraceptives, and cognitive behavioural therapy.³ However, PMDD remains highly misunderstood, underdiagnosed, and often dismissed. And by straddling menstruation and mental health, it is doubly stigmatised.

The Women’s Health Strategy for England established menstrual health as a priority in 2022, explicitly acknowledging PMDD.⁴ Still, key policy challenges remain in translating this commitment into action. For PMDD, around 90% of cases are misdiagnosed, the average time to diagnosis is 12 years, and current clinical guidelines fall short.^1,5 This project aims to map potential changes in policy and practice which could improve outcomes for people with PMDD.

 

1. International Association of Premenstrual Disorders. https://www.iapmd.org/facts-figures
2. American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.).https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.books.9780890425596
3. Eisenlohr-Moul, T. (2019). Premenstrual disorders: A primer and Research Agenda for Psychologists. Clin Psychol., 72 (1), 5-17.
4. Department for Health and Social Care. (2022). Women's Health Strategy for England. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/womens-health-strategy-for-england
5. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. (2024). Premenstrual Syndrome. https://cks.nice.org.uk/topics/premenstrual-syndrome/