Does menopause cause depression?

Depression is a serious mental condition characterized by mood disorder that affects one’s ability to experience normal mood state. It is accompanied by both mental and physical symptoms. Emotional symptoms can include sadness, loss of interest and pleasure in activities that use to please like hobbies, restlessness, and difficulty in concentrating or making decisions. Physical symptoms can include fatigue, lack of energy, insomnia etc. Other symptoms of depression may include irritability, anxiety, and thoughts of death. There are various schools of thoughts which suggest its cause. Depression is supposed to be due to changes in brain chemistry. Sometimes it is inherited genetically. Other factors that can provoke depression are physical or emotional stress, hormonal changes etc. Depression is comparatively common in women than men. In is more common in pre menopause and menopause women. The major cause of depression is caused due to hormonal changes occurring during menopause. Minor mood problems, insomnia, hot flashes are common. But in some women symptoms can be more severe leading to severe mood disorder known as major depression. The risk is more in women who have history of depression in past. Lack of estrogen released during menopause leads to hormonal fluctuation which in turn affects mood. Other factors that can promote depression are aging, lack of physical activity, presence of other diseases; socioeconomic problems etc. treatment for menopause induced depression depends on the severity of symptoms, history etc. treatment mainly includes antidepressant medications in combination with hormonal replacement therapy psychotherapy.

Researchers believe that that decrease in estrogen levels causes changes in your brain hence leading to depression. It can be a combination of hormonal changes plus the other symptoms like, lack of sleep, irritability, fatigue, night sweats, etc. Many women feel disoriented and confused by what is happening to them. Plus the age matters a lot too. Women are in their middle ages here, and they might be facing some other health issues too which can trigger depression.

Hi

I agree with manasi, No doubt menopause causes depression because of hormonal changes.