The Effect of Perimenopausal Estrogen Levels on Depression and Anxiety: A Pilot Study

Objectives. Among women in the perimenopausal period, rapid hormonal changes can be seen. In the present study, we aimed to investigate the relationship between depression, anxiety and changing estrogen hormone levels at menopause. Materials and Methods. The research group was composed of 30 perimenopausal women who had FSH levels higher than 20 IU and irregular menses. Anxiety and depression status was assessed with the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. Patients with or without depression or serious anxiety were compared in terms of age, body mass index (BMI), hot flushes, smoking, premenstrual syndrome (PMS) and estrogen levels. Results. There were no statistically significant differences in terms of hot flushes, BMI, smoking, age, and PMS in patients with or without depression/anxiety. Estrogen levels were statistically significantly lower in the group with depression compared to the group without depression (p=0.026). Conclusion. We believe that falling levels of estrogen in the perimenopausal period can be considered to be a risk factor for depression. The possible role of estrogen replacement in the treatment of depression and anxiety should be investigated in further studies.