Depression risk is 40 percent greater in perimenopausal women

According to a research released on Wednesday, women may be 40% more likely to experience depression during the perimenopause, the transitional period that precedes menopause.

The University College London (UCL) study’s foundation is a meta-analysis of seven studies with 9,141 women from various countries—Australia, the US, China, the Netherlands, and Switzerland—that were conducted.

The findings, which were published in the Journal of Affective Disorders, showed that perimenopausal women were much more likely (by around 40%) to be diagnosed with depression and to have depressive symptoms than premenopausal women.

“Clinical need for screening and support in this potentially vulnerable group” is highlighted in the results.

There was no discernible increase in the risk of depression in postmenopausal women when compared to premenopausal women.

Senior author Roopal Desai of UCL’s Psychology & Language Sciences said, “This study demonstrates that women in the perimenopausal stage are significantly more likely to experience depression than either before or after this stage.”

The significance of recognizing that women at this life period are more susceptible to depression is underscored by our results. It also emphasizes how important it is to assess and assist women in order to successfully address their mental health issues,” the speaker said.

The same researchers found that mindfulness and cognitive behavioral therapy may be beneficial in a prior study.

Oestrogen and progesterone levels fluctuate during perimenopause, which lasts three to five years before menopause begins. This results in mood swings, irregular menstruation cycles, and other symptoms of menopause, such as heightened depressive symptoms.

This menopausal stage often lasts for four to eight years in total and lasts until one year following the last menstrual cycle for women.