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Nearly twice as many
women (12 percent) as men
(7 percent) are affected by a
depressive illness each
year. At some point during
their lives, as many as 20
percent of women have at
least one episode of
depression that should be
treated.
Although conventional
wisdom holds that
depression is most closely
associated with menopause,
in fact, the childbearing
years are marked by the
highest rates of depression,
followed by the years prior to
menopause.
NIMH researchers are
investigating the causes and
treatment of depressive
disorders in women. One
area of research focuses on
life stress and depression.
Data from a recent NIMH-
supported study suggests
that stressful life
experiences may play a
larger role in provoking
recurrent episodes of
depression in women than in
men.
The influence of hormones
on depression in women has
been an active area of NIMH
research. One recent study
was the first to demonstrate
that the troublesome
depressive mood swings
and physical symptoms of
premenstrual syndrome
(PMS), a disorder affecting
three to seven percent of
menstruating women, result
from an abnormal response
to normal hormone changes
during the menstrual cycle.
PMS Symptoms
Among women with normal
menstrual cycles, those with
a history of PMS
experienced relief from
mood and physical
symptoms when their sex
hormones, estrogen and
progesterone, were
temporarily "turned off" by
administering a drug that
suppresses the function of
the ovaries.
PMS symptoms developed
within a week or two after
the hormones were re-
introduced. In contrast,
women without a history of
PMS reported no effects of
the hormonal manipulation.
The study showed that
female sex hormones do not
cause PMS – rather, they
trigger PMS symptoms in
women with a preexisting
vulnerability to the disorder.
The researchers currently
are attempting to determine
what makes some women
but not others susceptible to
PMS.
Possibilities include genetic
differences in hormone
sensitivity at the cellular
level, differences in history
of other mood disorders, and
individual differences in
serotonin function.
NIMH researchers also are
currently investigating the
mechanisms that contribute
to depression after childbirth
(postpartum depression),
another serious disorder
where abrupt hormonal
shifts in the context of
intense psychosocial stress
disable some women with
an apparent underlying
vulnerability.
In addition, an ongoing NIMH
clinical trial is evaluating the
use of antidepressant
medication following delivery
to prevent postpartum
depression in women with a
history of this disorder after
a previous childbirth.
women (12 percent) as men
(7 percent) are affected by a
depressive illness each
year. At some point during
their lives, as many as 20
percent of women have at
least one episode of
depression that should be
treated.
Although conventional
wisdom holds that
depression is most closely
associated with menopause,
in fact, the childbearing
years are marked by the
highest rates of depression,
followed by the years prior to
menopause.
NIMH researchers are
investigating the causes and
treatment of depressive
disorders in women. One
area of research focuses on
life stress and depression.
Data from a recent NIMH-
supported study suggests
that stressful life
experiences may play a
larger role in provoking
recurrent episodes of
depression in women than in
men.
The influence of hormones
on depression in women has
been an active area of NIMH
research. One recent study
was the first to demonstrate
that the troublesome
depressive mood swings
and physical symptoms of
premenstrual syndrome
(PMS), a disorder affecting
three to seven percent of
menstruating women, result
from an abnormal response
to normal hormone changes
during the menstrual cycle.
PMS Symptoms
Among women with normal
menstrual cycles, those with
a history of PMS
experienced relief from
mood and physical
symptoms when their sex
hormones, estrogen and
progesterone, were
temporarily "turned off" by
administering a drug that
suppresses the function of
the ovaries.
PMS symptoms developed
within a week or two after
the hormones were re-
introduced. In contrast,
women without a history of
PMS reported no effects of
the hormonal manipulation.
The study showed that
female sex hormones do not
cause PMS – rather, they
trigger PMS symptoms in
women with a preexisting
vulnerability to the disorder.
The researchers currently
are attempting to determine
what makes some women
but not others susceptible to
PMS.
Possibilities include genetic
differences in hormone
sensitivity at the cellular
level, differences in history
of other mood disorders, and
individual differences in
serotonin function.
NIMH researchers also are
currently investigating the
mechanisms that contribute
to depression after childbirth
(postpartum depression),
another serious disorder
where abrupt hormonal
shifts in the context of
intense psychosocial stress
disable some women with
an apparent underlying
vulnerability.
In addition, an ongoing NIMH
clinical trial is evaluating the
use of antidepressant
medication following delivery
to prevent postpartum
depression in women with a
history of this disorder after
a previous childbirth.
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Name:
Patricia Ray MSW,
LCSW, Ph.D
Candidate
LCSW, Ph.D
Candidate
Email:
217-552-4569
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