• Presentation Slides (PDF)

Marybeth Bohn witnessed her 33-year-old daughter Christina’s suffering from a disorder that was frequently misdiagnosed, and she often asked the inpatient psychiatrist, “Where did my daughter go?” After nine months of her daughter being at home with her and her husband, she finally figured out what was really happening when she learned about Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD). Right when hope was there and the sun was finally shining at the end of the tunnel, she tragically lost her daughter to suicide due to PMDD. 

Ms. Bohn speaks to the symptoms she and her husband witnessed as their daughter’s PMDD went undiagnosed and untreated for up to 15 years. The mask her daughter so effectively wore eventually slipped off, and the symptoms took away the life Christina had worked so hard for. 

Along with Ms. Bohn’s presentation, Sandi MacDonald discusses the diagnoses and symptoms of PMDD and Premenstrual Exacerbation (PME). She will also discuss the global impact of premenstrual disorders of Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS), PMDD, and PME.

Marybeth Bohn has been advocating for PMDD since she lost her daughter, Christina Elizabeth Bohn, to suicide in 2021 due to the disorder. The thought of others suffering as her daughter did for up to 15 years before receiving a correct diagnosis motivates Ms. Bohn to keep speaking out. She speaks publicly about PMDD to increase awareness and to reduce the time in getting an accurate diagnosis. She has spoken at the University of Missouri, Postpartum Support International, Missouri House of Representatives Committee on Healthcare Reform, Women’s Mental Health Conference at Yale, and many other venues. In 2023, she worked with the Missouri Legislature to pass a bill for having an annual PMDD Awareness Day on Oct. 2, which is Christina’s birthday. Ms. Bohn serves as Vice President of the Board of Directors for the International Association For Premenstrual Disorders (IAPMD) and has actively served as a PMDD Champion. After Christina's death, Ms. Bohn retired from the University of Missouri to focus on increasing awareness of PMDD. 

Sandi MacDonald is the co-founder and executive director of IAPMD, an organization she co-founded due to her lived experience with PMDD. The IAPMD is a scientific evidence-based organization that has reached over a million people. Ms. MacDonald has over 25 years of experience working in the mental health and addiction sectors. She has worked the front lines in these sectors and has taught college-level programs. She has created and implemented programming for many different projects, including peer support programs utilized by people impacted by PMDD and other premenstrual disorders across the globe.

As the executive director of IAPMD, she has managed several projects for the organization and has participated in many research projects. She has been published as a co-author in journals such as the Journal of International Medical Research, JAMA, and the Journal of Medical Internet Research. She helped manage and author a year-long research project that resulted in the first-ever PMDD roundtable event. This event and project resulted in two first-ever patient-centered resources, “A Guide to Conducting Rigorous, Patient-Centered PMDD Research” and “A Strategic Plan to Advance Patient-Centered PMDD Research.”