Background: The perimenopause is associated with considerable biopsychosocial changes. The majority of women manage to adjust to these changes and cope well with the shift from reproductive to non-reproductive life. However, some women develop burdensome physical and psychological symptoms during the perimenopause. A strong link between menopausal complaints and depressed mood has been shown in this regard. To date, the decisive factors determining whether a woman will successfully achieve a healthy transition remain unclear. Thus, the purpose of this study is to investigate a range of theory-based markers related to health in perimenopausal women.
Methods: The Swiss Perimenopause Study comprises a sample of 135 healthy perimenopausal women aged 40-56. A variety of health-related genetic, epigenetic, endocrinological, physiological, and psychosocial markers associated with the menopausal transition are investigated over a period of 13 months.
Discussion: The Swiss Perimenopause Study will contribute to a better understanding of the biopsychosocial processes associated with the perimenopause, which should help to improve the clinical care of women undergoing the menopausal transition.
Keywords: Depressed mood; Depression; Menopausal transition; Perimenopause; Reproductive aging; Resilience; Women’s health.
© The Author(s) 2020.