Is Depression a Normal Part of Menopause?
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Last updated: Feb 23, 2012
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Kenneth Robbins, M.D., is a senior medical editor of Caring.com. He is board certified in psychiatry and internal medicine, has a master's in public...
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No, depression isn't a normal part of menopause. Depression, although all too common, is never normal. Depression is an illness.
There seems to be some kind of interaction between sex hormones and mood, but it's a really complicated one. How a particular individual will be affected is unpredictable. Some women who have a history of depression find that, as they go through menopause, the nature of their depression changes. The depression can return or intensify, or vanish completely. Some experience depression for the first time.
But the cause and effect is unclear -- and certainly not the norm. Many women find menopause will usher in a part of life that is anything but depressing.
