Table 1 Longitudinal cohort summary of depressive symptom incidence

Penn Ovarian Ageing Study (POAS)—Baseline cross section 436 women 35-47 yrs, from Pennsylvania USA, recruited 1996.

Freeman et al., 2004 [33].

PoM n = 11

Six assessments at eight month intervals over four years.

Depressive symptoms:

STRAW PoM Maximum Duration: 11 years

CESD mean score 10.6 (pre 12.7, early transition 14.6, late transition 13.1)

CESD < 16 vs ≥16

Depressive Disorder: Primary Care Evaluation of Mental Disorders (PRIME-MD).

Diagnosis of MDD <1 %

Freeman et al., 2014 [34].

PoM n = 203

Longitudinal; 14 year FU

Depressive symptoms: CESD < 16; ≥16;≥25.

STRAW + 10; PoM Maximum Duration: 14 years

CESD of 16 or greater decreased approximately 15 % each year following FMP.

Depressive Disorder: Primary Care Evaluation of Mental Disorders (PRIME-MD).

Also included analysis using years since FMP as reference.

OR for risk of depressive symptoms highest for first two years following FMP.

~35 % of women with a history of depression reported high scores in each postmenopausal year compared to 0-15 % of women with no history.

Study of Women’s Health Across the Nation (SWAN)—Baseline cross section 16,065 women 40-55 yrs, from 7 geographic

Bromberger, et al., 2007 [35].

n = 2885 (25 % PoM)

Longitudinal; 5 yr FU

Depressive symptoms: CESD < 16 vs ≥16

WHO PoM Maximum Duration: 6 years

OR of having CESD score ≥16 in postmenopause (1.57) → significantly higher than premenopause.

PoM n = ~721

regions across the USA, recruited 1995-1997.

Bromberger et al., 2010 [11].

n = 3296 (66 % PoM) PoM n = ~2175

Longitudinal; 8 yr FU

Depressive symptoms: CESD < 16 vs ≥16

WHO; STRAW PoM Maximum Duration: 9 years

OR of having CESD score ≥16 in postmenopause (1.79) → significantly higher than premenopause.

Bromberger et al., 2011 [13].

n = 221 Ancillary SWAN study – Mental Health Study (MHS) – Pittsburgh site. PoM n = 131

Longitudinal; 10 yr FU

Major Depressive Episode: SCID

Early PoM: (≤2 yrs amenorrheic)

PoM 9.8 %.

Early PoM significantly greater risk for MDE than premenopause

Late PoM: (≥2 yrs amenorrheic)

PoM Maximum Duration: 11 years

Joffe et al., 2012 [26].

n = 425 Ancillary SWAN study (MHS) Pittsburgh site.

Longitudinal; 6 yr FU

Past or current Depressive Disorder: SCID

WHO PoM Maximum Duration: 7 years

PoM: 64/151 (42.4 %) met criteria

Surgical PoM: 12/38 (31.6 %) met criteria

PoM n = 151 Surgical PoM n = 38

Melbourne Women’s Midlife Health Project (MWMHP)/Women’s Healthy Ageing Study (WHAP) Baseline cross-section 2001

Dennerstein et al., 2004 [10].

314 women PoM = 207 Surgical PoM = 39

Longitudinal; initial year of CESD assessment 1991. FU 11 years.

Depressive symptoms: CESD(Brief) < 10 vs ≥10

STRAW PoM Maximum Duration: 11 years

CESD ≥ 10

PoM: 22 %

Surgical PoM: 42 %

Mean CESD Score:

PoM: 6.7

Surgical PoM: 8.7

women aged 45-55 yrs, from Melbourne Australia, recruited 1990-1991.

Ryan et al., 2009 [5].

PoM = 138

Longitudinal; 2 yr FU

Depressive symptoms: CESD(Brief) < 10 vs ≥10

STRAW PoM Maximum Duration: 13 years

CESD ≥ 10

PoM: 25.4 %

2002 compared to 2004.

Seattle Midlife Women’s Health Study (SMWHS) Baseline cross section 508 (35-55 yrs mean age 41 yrs), from Seattle USA, recruited 1990-1992.

Woods et al., 2008 [39].

PoM n = 87

Baseline and 15 year FU.

Depressive symptoms: CESD < 16 vs ≥16

STRAW Early PoM: 5 yrs from FMP

No significant difference in CESD score between menopausal stages.

PoM Maximum Duration: 5 years

Small but significant decrease of 0.10 in CESD score each year.

Eindhoven Perimenopausal Osteoporosis Study (EPOS) Baseline recruitment 1994 -1995. Women born between 1941 and 1947 from Eindhoven, Netherlands.

Maartens et al., 2002 [18].

T1: 1995 PoM: n = 646

Assessment in 1995 and 1998, approximately 3.5 years apart.

Depressive symptoms: Edinburgh Depression Scale (EDS) < 12 vs ≥12

Amenorrhea for at least one year.

T1 N = 646 - Mean EDS: 7.8

T2: 1998 PoM n = 1379

PoM Maximum Duration: unknown

EDS > 12 -- > 24.2 %

T2 N = 1379 - Mean EDS 7.7 EDS >12 -- > 25.7 %

The Manitoba Project— Baseline cross section 2500 (40-59 yrs),from Manitoba Canada, recruited 1982-1985.

Kaufert, Gilbert & Hassard, 1988 [41].

T1-T6 PoM;.

Baseline and 3 years FU with 6 monthly contact. 6 time points.

Depressive symptoms: CESD < 16 vs ≥16

12 months without menstruation.

No significant difference in CESD score between menopausal stages.

n = 5, 5, 18, 24, 29, 35

PoM Maximum Duration: 3 years

Kaufert, Gilbert & Tate, 1992 [42].

T1-T5 PoM.

First five time points.

Depressive symptoms: CESD < 16 vs ≥16

12 months without menstruation.

Relative odds of depression (compared to pre and peri):

n = 5, 5, 18, 24, 29

PoM Maximum Duration: 2.5 years

Non-depressed PoM: 0.87

Depressive history PoM: 0.84

Hysterectomised non-depressed PoM: 1.7

Hysterectomised depressive history PoM: 0.84