Menopausal women are more vulnerable than men to mental illnesses. Endocrine influences have been postulated, but differences in, for example, coping style or behaviour in response to psychosocial stress may also contribute to the gender differences in the prevalence of major depressive disorders. Gender differences in socialization may lead to higher rates of depression in women. As our previous study demonstrated, there is an association between psychosocial stress and the behaviours of smoking among menopausal women. Hence, we investigate younger women before 35 years who do not begin ovarian dysfunction and moreover these psychiatric associations and difference of race including stigma precisely. Even if menopausal women with severe psychiatric disorders in Japan often visited not only the psychiatry department, but also other departments, especially the departments of gynecology, internal medicine, or gender-specific medicine, because Japanese women tend to perceive psychiatric illness as a stigma. Besides prejudice, many other misunderstandings arise from cultural differences. Notably, decline in ovarian function is said to begin at 35 years of age and therefore, it is easy to imagine that menopausal-like symptoms might also develop in women under 45 years of age. In addition, there have been few surveys associating menopausal-like symptoms with behaviours. (Oi N, Ohi K (2013))
Last date updated on December, 2024