[Correlation of ill-defined syndrome with depression in the climacterium]

The psychologic and somatic symptoms at climacterium are multiplicative, ill-defined, and nonspecific. We studied 390 climacteric patients with ill-defined psychologic and somatic symptoms. While such symptoms arise from an estrogen-deficient state of the menopause, these also occur in certain major psychiatric disorders, especially those of depression. Thirteen and twenty-one percent of the women were diagnosed as depression and masked depression, respectively. The incidence of generalized and panic disorder was 6.7% in each. The ill-defined syndrome of the menopausal age may be severe and persistent enough to meet the diagnosis of a major psychiatric illness, i.e. depression. As these disorders are important differential diagnoses, personality analysis and careful observation of clinical course may be indicated. Furthermore, the psychosomatic approach is recommended for all of these cases.