Menopause: Vulnerable Time for New Onset of Depression

Menopause is emotionally and physically turbulent for many women. In two studies, researchers assessed depressive symptoms during the transition to menopause in premenopausal women without past clinical depression.

Boston researchers followed 460 women for 8 years. Women in perimenopause were more likely to have new onset of depressive symptoms or severe clinical depression than women who remained premenopausal.

Philadelphia researchers followed 231 women. Overall, 50% of women had elevated scores on a depression questionnaire scale at least once during follow-up, and 15% had elevated scores at several assessments. Analysis of within-woman changes in menopausal status indicated that a high depression score was roughly four times more likely to occur during a woman’s perimenopause than during her premenopausal period and that an actual diagnosis of depression was 2.5 times more likely during perimenopause.

Arch Gen Psych 2006 Apr; 63:385-90

Arch Gen Psych 2006 Apr; 63:875-82