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Perimenopausal Patients at Significant Risk For Depression Emergence
Compared to those in the pre-menopause phase, perimenopausal patients are at a higher risk for depressive symptoms and diagnoses. Results from the systematic review and meta-analysis were published in The Journal of Affective Disorders.
“Our study further solidifies the existing evidence on the association between the perimenopausal stage and the risk for depressive symptoms[…]and highlight the need for early screening and treatment for depression in midlife women and further research into potential risk factors,” wrote Yasmeen Badawy, MSc, BA, department of clinical health psychology, University College London, and co-authors.
The study included 17 prospective cohort studies sourced from Medline, PsycInfo, Embase, and Web of Science, encompassing 16061 participants. A further refining using the Quality in Prognosis Studies tool (QUIPS) narrowed the selection down to 7 papers with a total of 9141 patients for inclusion in meta-analyses, conducted using random effects models and pooled odds ratios (OR) measuring depressive symptoms and diagnoses.
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When compared to those in the premenopausal group, perimenopausal people were found to be at “significantly higher risk” for emergence of depressive symptoms and disease states (OR = 1.40; 95 % CI: 1.21; 1.61, p < .001). Authors found no difference in depressive symptoms and diagnoses between post-menopausal and pre-menopausal patients (OR = 1.18, 95 % CI: 0.74; 1.86; p = .48).
Authors noted that study conclusions may be limited by different criteria used to classify menopausal stages and depression across the included studies. Additionally, lack of studies comparing the 2 subgroups under examination and limiting inclusion to only prospective cohort studies may also skew results.
“Negative attitudes and stigma towards menopause highlight the need for public awareness around the menopause, its implications, and possible interventions,” Badawy et al. noted in reflection on the clinical implications of their findings. “Early recognition and treatment of depressive symptoms in women during midlife is necessary to prevent the possible negative social and physical consequences of depressive disorder.”
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