Neurobehavioral impact of menopause on mood.
The menopausal transition is a time of risk for mood change ranging from distress to minor depression to major depressive disorder in a vulnerable subpopulation of women in the menopausal transition. Somatic symptoms have been implicated as a risk factor for mood problems, although these mood problems have also been shown to occur independently of somatic symptoms. Mood problems have been found to increase in those with a history of mood continuum disorders, but can also occur de novo as a consequence of the transition. Stress has been implicated in the etiology and the exacerbation of these mood problems. Estrogen and add-back testosterone have both been shown to positively affect mood and well-being. In most cases, the period of vulnerability to mood problems subsides when the woman's hormonal levels stabilize and she enters full menopause.
Kaiser Permanente Northern California, Psychiatry Women's Health Program, Oakland, CA, USA. jeanne@afwh.org
Jeanne Leventhal
JL
Alexander
Lorraine
L
Dennerstein
Nancy Fugate
NF
Woods
Krista
K
Kotz
Uriel
U
Halbreich
Vivien
V
Burt
Gregg
G
Richardson
D000339:Affect / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008593:Menopause / Q000502:physiology / Q000523:psychology*; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology; D019964:Mood Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology