Depression common
in lead-up to menopause, but few gynecologists screen for it
Even though studies
have shown that some 40% of women experience depression as they go through
menopause, more than a third of gynecologists don’t screen for it, a survey
finds.
While most of the
gynecologists surveyed said they believed they could recognize depression in
perimenopausal women, almost half did not feel confident in their ability to
treat depressed patients, according to the report published in Menopause.
The new findings
suggest gynecologists need more training in diagnosing and treating depression,
said the study’s lead author, Greta Raglan, an assistant professor in the
psychiatry department at the University of Michigan. “And for the consumer,
it’s important to understand that the risk for depression is higher during the
perimenopausal period,” Raglan said.
Because doctors may
not be screening for depression, it’s important for a woman to know the
symptoms, which can be different during menopause, Raglan said.
“There’s less
sadness and more irritability and more frequent mood changes,” Raglan said.
Among the signs
women should look out for are: lower than usual mood, less interest in
activities that typically give one pleasure, difficulty falling asleep and
staying asleep, having feelings of guilt or worthlessness, changes in energy
level and thoughts of suicide or death.
To see how many
gynecologists were screening for depression in their menopausal patients,
Raglan and her team reached out to members of the Collaborative Ambulatory
Research Network (CARN), a group of gynecologists who have volunteered to
participate in surveys on a regular basis without compensation.
Invitations to take
the depression survey were sent to 500 CARN members who were also members of
the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, and 206 opted to
participate. The researchers pruned that number down to 197 after excluding
physicians who only treated pregnant women, were retired or did not complete
the survey.
The majority of the
doctors surveyed, 65.9%, said they screened menopausal patients for depression,
but 34.1% said they typically did not. Female doctors were more likely than
males to say they screened, 72.4% versus 55.4%. Those who had experienced
depression themselves or knew someone who had, were also more likely to say
they screened for the condition: 70.8% versus 50.0%. Doctors who had been
trained in treating depression were also more likely to screen for it, 80.7%
versus 59.2%.
Just over half,
55.8%, of the doctors said they felt confident in their ability to treat
depression in menopausal women.
The new findings
didn’t come as a surprise to Dr. Katherine Scruggs, an assistant professor of
obstetrics and gynecology at Magee-Womens Hospital in Pittsburgh who wasn’t
involved in the study. “Training in menopausal issues is generally lacking in
residencies,” Scruggs said.
With the shortage
of mental health providers it would make sense for gynecologists to get more
training in diagnosing and treating depression in menopausal women, she added.
Gynecologists are
often the first, or even the only, doctor women go to see, said Dr. Elissa
Gretz Friedman, director of the Menopause Center at Mount Sinai in New York
City, who also wasn’t involved in the study.
Source: Reuters
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