Cognitive therapy, mindfulness may help with menopausal depression

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http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/11/07/us-menopause-depression-cognitive-mindfu-idUSKBN0IR22Y20141107

Cognitive therapy, mindfulness may help with menopausal depression
By Janice Neumann
Fri Nov 7, 2014 2:02pm EST

Psychotherapy and mindfulness techniques could help many women who experience depression during menopause, according to a review of existing research.

Too few studies have looked at whether cognitive therapies are good alternatives for women who can’t or don’t want to use pharmaceutical treatments, the authors conclude, but the handful that did mostly showed positive results.

“When I started work in this area, I was struck by the lack of alternative, non-pharmacological, non-hormonal treatment for menopausal symptoms, given the associated risks of hormone therapy and side effects of anti-depressants for some women,” said Sheryl Green, lead author of the study, in an e-mail to Reuters Health.

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“With its low-risk nature, it is something that I continue to practice with menopausal patients who cannot or chose not to take medication - with success,” she said.

Dr. Pauline Maki of The North American Menopause Society told Reuters Health she was glad to see a study about alternatives to traditional therapy for depressed women during menopause.

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1. Cognitive-behavioral, behavioral, and mindfulness-based therapies for menopausal depression: A revie

http://www.maturitas.org/article/S0378-5122%2814%2900319-3/abstract

Cognitive-behavioral, behavioral, and mindfulness-based therapies for menopausal depression: A review
Sheryl M. Greenemail, Brenda Key, Randi E. McCabe
Received: October 2, 2014; Accepted: October 9, 2014; Published Online: October 17, 2014
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.maturitas.2014.10.004
Publication stage: In Press Uncorrected Proof

Abstract

Menopause is a natural transition that all women go through in their lives that is often accompanied by a number of physical and emotional symptoms. Upwards of 40% of women report depression symptoms associated with menopause (Timur & Sahin, 2010) [1] . Treatments for menopausal depression include pharmacological agents such as antidepressants and hormone therapy (HT) as well as psychological approaches. This paper provides a review of cognitive-behavioral, behavioral, and mindfulness based (CBBMB) therapies in treating depression during the menopausal transition. After conducting an electronic database search, only two studies specifically using CBBMB methods were found, both had positive results. Since so few studies existed that specifically evaluated CBBMB treatments for menopausal depression (n = 2), a larger net was cast. Studies that assessed depression symptoms as an outcome measure in an evaluation of CBBMB treatments for hot flashes or menopausal symptoms, more broadly were included. The review revealed that interventions targeting hot flashes or menopausal symptoms using CBBMB methods mostly proved to have had a positive impact on depression symptoms in the mild range of severity. Directions for future research are discussed including the need for more CBBMB interventions targeting depression during the menopausal transition to establish their efficacy.