There are neurotransmitters in the brain that are related to depression symptoms, these neurotransmitters are serotonin and norepinephrine. In turn, these neurotransmitters are in part regulated by estrogen production. Evidence suggests that estrogen definitely plays a part in helping to regulate these neurotransmitters and thus plays a potential role in depression, what is unknown is the extent to which hormones affect depression. When women begin to experience the first signs of menopause, including decreases in estrogen production, the incidence of mental health problems, including depression, increases.

The depression rate for women is 21%, which is almost twice that of men which is only 12.7%. But, not only do women experience more depression, they also experience more debilitating symptoms than men. About 20% of women are expected to experience some depression related symptoms during menopause. Due to the aging baby boomers, the number of women reaching menopause is at an all time high, about 2 million women a year. With 20% of these women expected to experience some depression symptoms, this is a serious health risk that everyone needs to be aware of. Women who have already had depression or other psychological problems earlier in life are at the greatest risk of depression during menopause.

As well as an increased risk of depression, menopausal age women between 45 and 50 years old also are at an increased risk of onset schizophrenia. This increased risk of onset schizophrenia during menopause is very interesting because in all other age groups of both men and women, the risk of onset schizophrenia decreases with age. Typically if schizophrenia hasn't manifested by the 20s then the risk is very insignificant and goes down with age. Another psychological disorder that increases during menopause is panic disorders. The incidence of new onset panic disorders increases and symptoms may get worse in already existing cases.

The correlation between hormone imbalance and the increase in menopause related depression and other psychological symptoms isn't fully understood, but just because it isn't fully understood this doesn't mean the link should be dismissed out of hand. All women need to be aware of the increased risk of onset psychological disorders or a worsening of current conditions, so if you're a woman of menopausal age and are experiencing any alarming or unusual symptoms that you think may be related to menopause, you should definitely talk about them with a doctor.