Women entering menopause early report increased anxiety and depression
News-Medical reports on a University of Oulu observational study of more than 2,600 women, all 46 years old, from the Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1966. Those already in the menopausal transition reported clinically significant anxiety symptoms more often, approximately 23 per cent versus 16 per cent. Depressive symptoms were also more common, and the associations held after accounting for smoking, alcohol, body mass index and education.
Why it matters: Relevant to women in their mid-40s approaching menopause and to the clinicians who refer them for preventive or mental health care.
A summary of another publisher's reporting, written with AI and checked automatically against the story. The reporting belongs to news-medical.net. October 6, 2026.