Natural estrogen as an antidepressant for women

Recent well-controlled studies suggest that estrogen has antidepressant actions in perimenopausal women. Estrogen may also have antidepressant actions in postpartum women and across the life cycle for women who are resistant to treatment with various antidepressants. The question, however, of which depressed women to treat with antidepressants, which with estrogen, and which with both remains unanswered.