To explore the any correlations between menopause syndromes and depression among perimenopausal women attending a specialized "menopause outpatient clinic" .

Women aged 40-60 years were recruited face-to-face during their first visit for a survey conducted from July 2016 to Februrary 2017. The questionnaire collected information on socio-demographics, physical health, menopause symptoms. Kupperman menopause index (KMI) and patient health questionnaire (PHQ-9) were chosen to measure menopause symptoms and major depressive disorders respectively.

Of 153 participants, the average age was (47.3±4.3) years. A majority of them (77.78%) were considered to be at perimenopausal stage with 73.86% self-reportedany menopause syndromes (KMI>6). The top five most common menopause-related symptoms were fatigue (70.59%), mood swings (63.40%), insomnia (59.48%), hot flashes/sweating (56.21%) and joint pain (52.29%). For depression, 35.95% of the participants were screened as having any major depression (PHQ-9≥5). Both the severity of menopause syndromes (higher KMI scores) and the co-occurrence of menopause-related symptoms were significantly associated with these women’s depression screening. Multivariable analysis further revealed that depression was closely associated with the following menopause-related symptoms: hot flashes/sweat, insomnia, mood swings, dizziness, fatigue, headaches, and palpitations (reaching statistical significance).

There is a clear link between menopause (severity and related symptoms) and depression in patients attending the specialized menopause outpatient clinic. More clinical care is needed to address the increased likelihood of co-occurring depression among perimenopausal female patients to improve their quality of life.

Perimenopause; Depression; Influencing factors