FIGO best practice recommendations for the mental health of women at menopausal age.
Level 5 - mechanism / opinion, no new human data
Expert consensus and practice guideline without systematic review methodology specified in the abstract
PubMed 41902367 · doi:10.1002/ijgo.70943
What was done
The International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) Committee on Women at Menopausal Age addressed 13 key questions regarding mental health during menopause. Committee members evaluated evidence quality and strength of recommendations using a 5-point Likert scale to develop consolidated best practice recommendations.
What was found
Over 70% of the experts agreed on a strong recommendation level (score of 5) for eight questions, and five questions achieved high and moderate recommendation agreement. No specific empirical patient counts, effect sizes, or quantitative outcome measures were reported in the abstract. Key recommendations include individualizing care with lifestyle changes, cognitive-behavioral therapy, and hormone therapy; preferring transdermal estradiol for mood swings in women with metabolic risks; using escitalopram and venlafaxine for depressive symptoms and vasomotor instability in major depressive disorder; and promoting non-pharmacological interventions and partner/family support.
Why it matters
It provides international, standardized guidance for clinicians to recognize and manage under-addressed perimenopausal anxiety and depression across diverse settings.
Limits
The abstract describes an expert consensus and practice guideline process rather than reporting primary data or systematic meta-analytic metrics. Exact panel size, search methodology, and underlying study numbers are not reported.
Cited by
- context Declining estrogen levels lead to depression.