PSST Screening
PMDD test
This screen is modeled on the PSST (Premenstrual Symptoms Screening Tool). It asks about the days before your period — the luteal phase — because what defines PMDD is timing: severe symptoms that arrive premenstrually and lift once your period starts. It cannot diagnose PMDD (that needs tracking across two cycles), but it shows whether your symptoms reach the level worth taking to a clinician.
In the week or so before your period, have you experienced:
PSST Your result
Your PSST score
0 / 12
What this means
Sensible next steps
Curious how reliable it is? See how accurate the PSST-based is.
By the numbers Context
How common is PMDD?
Most people who menstruate notice some premenstrual changes, but PMDD is a different order of severity. It brings marked irritability, anxiety, tearfulness, or hopelessness — strong enough to strain relationships and disrupt work — in a tight, repeating pattern tied to the menstrual cycle. An estimated 3–8% of menstruating women are affected, and it was added to the DSM-5 as a distinct depressive disorder in 2013.
What separates PMDD from both PMS and ongoing depression is timing. Symptoms cluster in the luteal phase (the week or two before a period) and ease within a few days of bleeding starting, leaving a symptom-free stretch each cycle. Hormone levels in PMDD are normal — it reflects a heightened sensitivity to those normal shifts. Because timing is everything, the only way to confirm PMDD is prospective daily tracking across two cycles; this screen tells you whether that step is worth taking.
3–8%
of menstruating women are affected by PMDD
ACOG / NIH
2 cycles
of daily symptom tracking needed to confirm PMDD
DSM-5
2013
year PMDD was recognised as a distinct disorder in the DSM-5
APA
Sources: American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG); American Psychiatric Association, DSM-5 (2013); Steiner et al., Archives of Women’s Mental Health, 2003.
Score guide Interpretation
What your PSST-based score means
| Score | What it suggests |
|---|---|
| 0–3 | Below the PMDD screening threshold |
| 4–7 | Moderate premenstrual symptom burden |
| 8–12 | High premenstrual symptom burden |
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between PMS and PMDD?
Both follow the menstrual cycle, but PMDD is far more severe and is driven by mood. PMS is common and manageable; PMDD brings intense irritability, anxiety, tearfulness, or hopelessness strong enough to disrupt work and relationships, and it is classed as a depressive disorder. Severity and impact are what separate them.
How do doctors test for PMDD?
There is no single test. Diagnosis is made by tracking your symptoms daily across at least two menstrual cycles to confirm they cluster before your period and lift afterward, while ruling out other conditions. A screen like this one is a starting point, not the diagnosis.
Can a blood test detect PMDD?
No. Hormone levels in PMDD are normal — the condition reflects a heightened sensitivity to ordinary hormonal shifts, not abnormal hormones. Blood tests are used to rule out other causes (like thyroid problems), not to confirm PMDD.
What can mimic PMDD?
Depression, anxiety, thyroid disorders, and perimenopause can all look similar. So can “premenstrual exacerbation”, where an existing condition simply worsens before a period. The key distinction is whether there is a genuinely symptom-free stretch each cycle — which is why tracking matters.
What will a gynecologist do for PMDD?
They will usually ask you to track symptoms, rule out other causes, and discuss treatment — which can include SSRIs (often taken only in the luteal phase), certain hormonal or contraceptive options, and lifestyle measures. Effective options exist, so it is worth raising.
Is the PMDD test a diagnosis?
No. It indicates whether your premenstrual symptoms reach a level worth assessing. Only a clinician, using prospective tracking, can diagnose PMDD.