Why some women have a greater risk of developing depression as they enter menopause
A few years ago, Katie Kissal noticed changes in her body. She was in her early 40s.
“I had heavy sweats,” she told WTOP. “It was like a flush. But it would happen during exercise, and I attributed it to that. I had no idea.”
An in-depth conversation with her doctor at DiscoverHER Health in Alexandria, Virginia, revealed Kissal was in perimenopause — the transitional period before menopause.
Menopause occurs 12 months after a woman’s last period, ending her reproductive journey. In these years leading up to the change of life, women begin experiencing physical symptoms like hot flashes, weight gain and difficulty sleeping.
Now, new research published in the Journal of Affective Disorders finds women in this stage are 40% more likely to also develop depression.
“I’m actually not surprised,” said Kissal, 47, who said she hasn’t experienced depression. “All the anecdotal stuff I hear from my friends, I’m not surprised. You physically feel different. You don’t feel good about yourself. So much more attention needs to be paid to it.”
Dr. Amy Banulis, a gynecologist at Kaiser Permanente in Falls Church, said women can blame the depression and mood swings on “a big fluctuation of hormones.” She also said it’s difficult for some women to detect when they’re in perimenopause because it strikes amid other pressing life pressures like caring for aging parents, raising children and juggling demanding work schedules.
“It’s something we hear from women all the time in our day-to-day practice,” Banulis said. “It’s tricky. It’s that time in your life where you’re just being stretched thin.”
Kissal, a busy consultant and mom to three teenage and tween girls, agrees.
“It all makes sense,” she said.
But there’s something women can do to ease the physical symptoms of perimenopause and keep depression at bay, Banulis said.
“It starts with things you can do for yourself,” Banulis told WTOP. “Healthy diet and regular exercise are super important. And, you have to prioritize your sleep at this time.”