Going through menopause doesn’t always increase the risk of depression and other mental illnesses, a new study finds.
The senior author says, “We don't want to invalidate the fact that some people will experience mental health symptoms during the menopause transition, but it’s not guaranteed.”
Researchers reviewed previous investigations that looked at the incidence of major depressive disorder, anxiety, bipolar disorder and psychosis during menopause.
They say they found no evidence that the transition was universally linked to these conditions, but they did discover certain groups of women may be at greater risk for depressive symptoms, including those who previously experienced depression, had severely disturbed sleep due to hot flashes or were living through a stressful life event at the same time.
The researchers say if you’ve never had major depression before, it’s extremely unlikely to have a first episode during menopause.
