2015 Volume 19 Issue 3 Pages 310-321
Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) is a condition characterized with a dysphoric episode occurring in the late luteral phase and disappearing within a few days of the menstruation. The aim of the study was to estimate the prevalence of and to evaluate factors associated with PMDD in Japanese college students. We conducted a questionnaire survey in a women's university located in a middle-sized city of Japan. We informed students attending psychology classes of the detailed study procedure and asked them to participate in the study. Finally out of 900 students, 833 (mean age 20.1 years) consented to the participation and completed the questionnaire, which consisted of DSM-IV-TR criteria for PMDD, socio-demographic variables, and questions asking information about life style and gynecological, psychiatric and stress-related factors. The prevalence of PMDD in the present study was 5.4%. A univariate logistic regression analysis revealed that 1 lifestyle, 2 gynecological, 5 psychiatric and 8 stress-related factors (total 16) were significantly associated with PMDD. Multiple logistic regression analysis to control for the confounding effects of the 16 factors showed that PMDD was independently associated with neurotic character, elevated consciousness to physical symptoms, psychological problems to family members, and drinking alcohol for stress-coping. These results suggest that psychological factors play important roles in the genesis of PMDD.
