Reviewer’s report
Title: 
Sex hormone levels in females of different ages suffering from depression
Version: 
0 
Date: 
07 Aug 2020
Reviewer's report:
The authors address a previously understudied area of the role of gonadal
hormones in single vs. recurrent depressive disorders. 
Several modifications are
needed:
1. There are grammatical errors throughout the manuscript that need to be
corrected (e.g., Abstract, Conclusions, sex hormones in female (should be plural
females) as in Background section line 8 and page 6 line 13; Background
section, line 9 first part of sentence should be completed with "to suffer
depression," page 7, line 17, contraceptives should be plural.
2. Background, line 7 should be low rather than black mood; line 13, should state
contribute, rather than cause depressive symptoms.
3. Background, line 18, premenstrual depression is more common than anxiety.
4. Page 5, line 3 should be referenced.
5. Page 8, line 8, I think the authors mean psychotic, not psychiatric, symptoms
as in page 9 line 3.
6. Page 10, paragraph 1, it is not clear whether participants were outpatients or
inpatients.
7. Page 11, line 12, no discussion is offered as to why prolactin levels are
correlated with occupation.
8. Page 12, line 19, no evidence is presented that the women were senile.
9.Page 13 line 3, further discussion is warranted as to how treatment affected
serum hormone levels, and its postulated mechanisms.
10. How multiple comparisons were accounted for in statistical analyses needs to
be addressed.
11. Page 13, line 21, receptors should be plural.
12. The writing style is scattered.
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Is the study design appropriate to answer the research question (including the use
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