The premenstrual syndrome and absence from work due to illness

Abstract

In a recently conducted survey study in Uppsala County, Sweden, 83 women stated that they had been absent from work during the previous half year due to premenstrual discomfort (premenstrual syndrome, PMS). The absence due to illness and the diagnoses of these women during an 1 year period were compared with those of a control group which was matched in terms of number of women, age and civil status, but in which the women did not report suffering from PMS. The results show more illnesses and a different diagnostic pattern when absent from work (due to illness) in women suffering from PMS as compared with the control group. The diagnosis ‘mental disorders’ is twice as common in the group absent due to PMS.