Female psychopathologic profile during menopausal transition: a preliminary study.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the psychopathological profile and the incidence of major depressive disorders in consecutive women attending a Menopause Clinic.


METHODS
Women attending outpatient menopause clinic at Filippo del Ponte Hospital in Varese (Italy), referring to the centre from 1 March to 30 April 2005, were invited to fill up a specific questionnaire while waiting for the visit. The questionnaire included demographics and history (e.g. current or past use of antidepressant drugs); symptoms check list (SCL-90-R); Beck depression inventory (BDI).


RESULTS
Sixty-four women were enrolled to the study. On the SCL-90-R, "somatic" symptoms cluster was the most frequent. Patients diagnosed as depressed using the Beck depression inventory (BDI) were 18 (28.1%). Thirteen (70%) of currently depressed women presented a positive history of depressive disorders. The analysis of depressed women according to previous depressive disorders revealed higher scores for women with positive history in both scales. Depressed patients have a significantly lower mean age compared to non-depressed patients (53.3+/-6.2 years versus 57.33+/-4.9 years, p=0.023).


CONCLUSIONS
Our preliminary data show a high correlation between a history of depressive disorder and recurrence of depression in the menopausal period. Perimenopause seems to be a higher risk period for the development of a depressive disease compared to menopausal status. The somatization cluster warrants further investigation.
Callegari
Camilla
C
Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Insubria, Varese, Italy. camilla.callegari@uninsubria.it
Buttarelli
M
M
Cromi
Antonella
A
Diurni
M
M
Salvaggio
F
F
Bolis
P F
PF
D000367:Age Factors; D000553:Ambulatory Care; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008593:Menopause / Q000523:psychology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011788:Quality of Life; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires