Research highlights depression levels around menopause

Perimenopausal women have a 40% higher risk of suffering depression than those without menopausal symptoms, research suggests.

Experts from University College London found women could be vulnerable to depression and anxiety prior to their periods stopping, with the development of new cases or existing symptoms getting worse.

Women typically go through the menopause aged 49 to 52, which has been highlighted previously as the point when they get the highest rates of depression.

According to the NHS, common mental health symptoms of menopause and perimenopause include low mood, anxiety, mood swings, low selfesteem and issues with memory and concentration.

Physical symptoms include hot flushes, difficulty sleeping, heart palpitations, joint pains and weight gain.

The new research, published in the Journal of Affective Disorders, examined data from seven studies involving 9,141 women from across the world, including Australia, the US, China, Netherlands and Switzerland.

It found perimenopausal women were “at a significantly higher risk for depressive symptoms and diagnoses” compared to premenopausal women.

Also, researchers did not find a significantly higher risk for depressive symptoms in postmenopausal women, when compared to those who were premenopausal.

The team suggested that one biological reason – discussed in previous research – is the drop in oestrogen women experience during menopause triggers new symptoms or the worsening of pre-existing depressive symptoms.

Senior author Dr Roopal Desai said: “Our findings emphasise the importance of acknowledging that women in this lifestage are more vulnerable to experiencing depression.”