About the menopausal depression

According to studies performed in the last some years, several factors may increase the risk for depression during menopause to occur. Perimenopause, the period mostly associated an increase in the rate of depressive symptomatology, is characterised by decline of estrogen level. But the other changing reproductive physiology, as progesterone, inhibin level, CNS activity of gonadal steroids may have role in depression during menopause.

We enrolled 40 patients with major depression (women's age range 39-51 years). In the open label clinical trial 10-10 of them had fluoxetine, estrogen, the combination of fluoxetine and estrogen or fluoxetine and cognitive psychotherapy. The measurement was made by the Clinical Global Impression Scale. Duration of the treatment was six weeks.

From the 10-10 depressed patients 4 improved by estrogen, 6-6 by the combination of antidepressant and estrogen or fluoxetine alone, but 8 with combination of antidepressants cognitive psychotherapy.

The combination of antidepressant and psychotherapy the best solution for the treatment of menopausal depression, but the therapy must be individual.