--- title: Does hormone therapy help women with depression linked to periods and menopause? description: Yes. Thirty-five percent reported being cured and 55 percent had considerable improvement. For 94 percent, hormone therapy was life-changing for the better, a url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/hormone-therapy-for-reproductive-depression-in-women-2014/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - Does hormone therapy help women with depression linked to periods and menopause? Non-randomised trial, 2014 # Does hormone therapy help women with depression linked to periods and menopause? Yes. Thirty-five percent reported being cured and 55 percent had considerable improvement. For 94 percent, hormone therapy was life-changing for the better, and none reported worsening. Early or limited evidence 238 women with depression as the main symptom attending a PMS and Menopause Centre ## What they did 238 women from a PMS and Menopause Centre completed an email survey. Their main symptom was depression. All received transdermal estrogen. Ninety-three percent also received transdermal testosterone. Of those with a uterus, 171 also received cyclical progestogen. Their treatment outcomes and depression histories were recorded. ## What they found Most women had severe or moderate depression, a history of PMS as teenagers, no depression during pregnancy but depression after birth. With hormone therapy, 35 percent reported being cured, 55 percent had considerable improvement, and only 3.7 percent had no improvement. Thirty-eight women who had hysterectomy and removal of both ovaries reported the procedure was life-changing for the better. Sixty-three percent of those on progestogen developed PMS-type symptoms during progestogen days. ## What it means for you Hormone therapy appears helpful for depression linked to periods and menopause. However, this is a survey of women who chose to attend a specialized centre, with no control group. We cannot be certain the improvement was caused by the therapy alone. 238 women surveyed 35% reported being cured 55% had considerable improvement ## About the study Original title Hormone therapy for reproductive depression in women Authors Studd J Journal Post reproductive health Year 2014 Study design Non-randomised trial Participants 238 What was tested Transdermal estrogen and testosterone, with cyclical progestogen for some Read the paper [doi.org/10.1177/2053369114557883](https://doi.org/10.1177/2053369114557883) ## Topics [Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pmdd/)[Reproductive hormone sensitivity](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-hormone-sensitivity/)[Low mood and depression](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-depression-mood/)[SSRIs and antidepressants](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-ssri/)[GnRH agonists and ovarian suppression](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-gnrh/)[Estradiol, progesterone and hormone therapy](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-hormone-therapy/)[Surgical menopause](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-surgery/)[Schizophrenia and psychosis](https://niyora.com/research/topics/comorbidity-psychosis/)[Perimenopause and menopause](https://niyora.com/research/topics/comorbidity-perimenopause/)[Pregnancy and postpartum](https://niyora.com/research/topics/comorbidity-postpartum/)[Work and productivity](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-work/) Research tells you what helps on average. Niyora helps on the day it hits. Calm down, see it another way, and decide what to say, with a PMS and PMDD app built by a doctor. ## Related studies Review, 2012 Is depression linked to hormonal changes during the menstrual cycle, pregnancy, and menopause? Review, 2002 What are the reproductive-related mood disorders and how are they connected? Survey study, 2006 Does the menstrual cycle affect how severe OCD symptoms are? Systematic review, 2026 Why do some women experience mood changes linked to their menstrual cycle? Review, 2002 What treatments work best for PMS and PMDD? Review, 1989 Are mental health conditions linked to the reproductive cycle? Ask AI about this page Copy prompt ChatGPT ↗ Claude ↗ Perplexity ↗ Google AI Mode ↗ Grok ↗