A recent addition to the DSM-5 clarifies Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD) as a disorder affecting five to seven percent of women of reproductive age. It shares several characteristics with different mood disorders and is most commonly misdiagnosed as Major Depression.
In a study by Girdler and colleagues they found that PMDD has specific measures of stress and pain which make it distinct from major depression disorder due to differences in biological mechanisms. They concluded that these impairments lead to severe distress comparable to those who suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder, major depressive disorder and panic disorder which cycle on a monthly basis. Although it is distributed throughout a woman’s life they found that some women spend half their lives suffering due to this disorder if left untreated.
Another finding from this study shows those women who have co morbidity of both major depression and PMDD showed lower cortisol levels and greater sensitivity to pain compared to non-PMDD women with depression. They did not find differences between PMDD and non PMDD women who had no prior depression.
Only half of women benefit from current treatment. Its recent addition to the DSM-5 has led to intense research in this area potentially yielding more treatment options as we learn more about the biological mechanisms involved.
Source: http://psychcentral.com/news/2010/03/31/the-difference-between-depression-and-premenstrual-dysphoric-disorder/12485.html
