[Psychosomatic relationships in postmenopausal women]

To study the prevalence of depressive and anxiety disorders in postmenopausal disorders and their relationship with the manifestations of climacteric syndrome.

The study enrolled 203 women, including 142 patients with surgical menopause and 61 with natural menopause. Psychometric testing using the Hamilton depression rating scale and the Spielberger test anxiety inventory, and 24-hour blood pressure (BP) monitoring with assessment of the 24-hour BP profile were performed.

Depressive disorders (DD) were found in 82.5% of the postmenopausal women; all the patients had higher levels of situational and personality anxiety. The women with natural menopause developed moderate and severe DD and those who had undergone ovariectomy had mild DD. The prevalence of DD was higher in patients with essential hypertension (EH) than in those with normal BP (88.6 and 78.3%, respectively; p < 0.01); DD was more marked in these patients. The severity of DD also depended on the type of diurnal BP variations; the highest level of depression was recorded in patients without nocturnal BP reduction. The same group was found to have the highest level of personality and situational anxiety.

The magnitude of DD depends on the type of menopause, the presence of EH, and the specific features of diurnal BP variations. The findings necessitate a detail examination of postmenopausal women for identification of affective disorders and their further correction.