Medicalising Menstruation: The case of premenstrual dysphoric disorder

It is widely accepted that the female reproductive system, and in particular, menstruation has received considerable attention throughout human history. Over the years, a significant amount of scientific research studies have concluded that premenstrual symptoms could cause women severe distress, diminish their quality of life and impair their ability to function at work and in relationships. Terminologies such as ¿premenstrual syndrome¿ and ¿premenstrual dysphoric disorder¿ have been used to refer to this distress. In this book, Shimu draws on social constructionist and feminist approaches to critically question the concept of 'premenstrual dysphoric disorder' and locate premenstrual changes within a social-cultural context. She traces the development of the concept in mainstream psychiatric and psychological literature from the 1930s to the present. Shimu focuses on how the term has been constructed and what implications these constructions have for the psychology of women.