Premenstrual Syndrome and Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder: A Review of their History with an Eye on Future

Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) and premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) are two very closely related disorders that are seen in the overlapping territories of gynecology and mental health. Grossly, both these disorders are characterized by psychiatric and somatic symptoms that become prominent during the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle and cause significant impairment in the activities of daily living and usually spontaneously resolve shortly after the completion of the menstrual cycle. Researchers worldwide have been bemused by the simultaneous existence of these two diagnostic entities. The popular belief has been that the diagnostic entity of PMS has been mainly endorsed by the various gynecological societies worldwide, contrary to PMDD, which is a relatively newer diagnostic entity created by the American Psychiatric Association during the publication of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. The current article intends to trace the incredible journey of these entities from its inception to their current form and its utility in the current scenario and propose future implications.