The number of women afflicted with depression during the menopausal years is not more than the 8 to 10 percent prevalence that is seen throughout the reproductive years. Stressful events are also known to trigger emotional changes and depression. Stressful life events coincide with menopause, which may make it harder to determine the cause of the mood changes. Family or work situations may fuel fatigue, sadness, or low energy level, all of which are symptoms that may be profound in a clinical depression. When a woman has an underlying depression, the low levels of estrogen seen in menopause, or perimenopause, may accentuate the depression.
Many women require no treatment for symptoms associated with menopause.
Helpful medications include estrogen, which alleviates hot flashes and therefore helps promote restful sleep. Some women feel better on estrogen even if they are not suffering from hot flashes. In certain cases, antidepressant medication, such as Prozac, Zoloft, Paxil, or cyclic antidepressants, is warranted. These medications affect the uptake of brain neurotransmitters linked to clinical depression. I hope this gives you some insight into the emotional changes that occur during menopause.