BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) is the most common complication among women at the reproductive age, which may adversely interfere with daily activities. Due to the high prevalence of PMS in Iran, identification of rapid and effective diagnostic tools is paramount for the correct recognition of this syndrome. This study aimed to compare the predictive values of the Premenstrual Symptoms Screening Tool (PSST) and Daily Record of Severity of Problems (DRSP) in the diagnosis of PMS.

METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 230 female students above 18 years, who were selected using convenience sampling. PSST and DRSP questionnaires were completed on a daily basis during two menstrual cycles of the subjects. 

FINDINGS: In this study, rate of the correct classification of PMS symptom severity (mild to severe) by PSST was estimated at 83.9%. Sensitivity and specificity of PSST were 66.3% and 85.6%, respectively. In addition, positive and negative predictive values of PSST were reported to be 96.2% and 33%, respectively. Also, there was a moderate, significant correlation between PSST and DRSP (r=0.38, p<0.001).

CONCLUSION: According to the results of this study, PSST could be a proper screening tool to identify normal women in clinical situations and diagnose mild PMS accurately. However, it is not an appropriate measure to predict the severity of PMS. In this regard, use of prospective tools could result in a definitive diagnosis of PMS.