Short-term use of estradiol for depression in perimenopausal and postmenopausal women: a preliminary report.

Objective: The authors examined the effect of a 4-week course of estrogen therapy on depression in perimenopausal and postmenopausal women.

Method: Twenty-two depressed women who were either perimenopausal (N=10) or postmenopausal (N=12) received open-label treatment with transdermal 17beta-estradiol (100 micro g/day) for 4 weeks. The Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale and the Beck Depression Inventory were used to assess depressive symptoms, the Greene Climacteric Scale was used to assess menopause-related symptoms, and the Clinical Global Impression (CGI) was used to assess global clinical improvement in these women at baseline and after treatment.

Efficacy of citalopram as a monotherapy or as an adjunctive treatment to estrogen therapy for perimenopausal and postmenopausal women with depression and vasomotor symptoms.

Background: Women frequently report depressive and vasomotor symptoms during the menopausal transition. Hormone therapy has been shown to improve some of these symptoms, although its safety as a long-term treatment has been questioned. It is still unclear whether the use of antidepressants alone may alleviate menopause-related mood and vasomotor symptoms or enhance the response observed with short-term use of estrogen therapy.