Hormone Replacement Therapy & Depression

Menopause can be a difficult time for many women due to a variety of symptoms caused by the change in hormone levels that occurs at this time, such as night sweats and hot flashes. These hormonal changes can also lead to depression.

Significance

• Hormone replacement therapy involves prescribing oral drugs to women who are experiencing symptoms of menopause in order to alleviate their symptoms.

Potential

• Some medical researchers believe that the drugs used in hormone replacement therapy, which contain synthetic hormones, can cause women to become more chemically balanced, decreasing feelings of sadness and depression brought on by menopause.

Positive Trials

• Both the National Institute of Mental Health and the University of Missouri conducted small, separate studies that consisted of less than 100 female participants who were given hormone replacement therapy. In both of these small studies, women showed a decrease in feelings of sadness and depression.

Negative Trials

• A much larger study, consisting of more than 16,000 participants, was conducted by the Women's Health Initiative. In its findings (published in 2003), the Initiative reported that there was no correlation between hormone replacement therapy and the reduction of depression in menopausal women.

Considerations

• Since the 2003 study, it has been determined that hormone replacement therapy has a number of dangerous side effects, such as breast cancer, blood clots, heart attack and stroke. Because of these side effects, few research scientists view hormone replacement therapy as a viable treatment for any symptom of menopause, including depression.