premenstrual tension

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English

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Etymology

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Coined by Robert T. Frank in 1931 of New York, the first doctor to treat PMS's physical and psychological components as related to a single cause.

Noun

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premenstrual tension (uncountable)

  1. (now chiefly UK) Synonym of premenstrual syndrome: the physical and psychological malaise experienced by many women between ovulation and the onset of menstruation. [1931]
    • 1950, Louis Portnoy, Jules Saltman, Fertility in Marriage: A Guide for the Childless:
      There may be an actual distaste for sexual relations for a week or so prior to the period, perhaps as part of a picture of general irritability and vague feelings of discomfort of which some women complain; the name "premenstrual tension" has been applied to this.
    • 1950, Public Health Service publication no. 263, sect. 20, 1969:
      However, the pervasive social impact of the premenstrual tension comes from psychological, behavioral change, and this is the time of month that women are likely to be admitted to psychiatric wards.
    • 2006, Corey L.M. Keyes, Sherryl H. Goodman, Women and Depression: A Handbook for the Social, Behavioral, and Biomedical Sciences:
      In 1931, Frank coined the term premenstrual tension, in reference to the cyclical recurrence of tension, anxiety, and suicidal ideation in 15 women during their premenstrual phase.

Usage notes

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The phrase premenstrual syndrome, coined in 1953, is preferred in USA and some other countries, possibly because it appears more inclusive.