The Relationship Between Belief in Menopause Myths and Depression Levels in Perimenopausal Women

For millions of women, the years leading up to the end of menstruation are a time of profound biological change. As the body shifts its hormonal balance, physical sensations often give way to emotional turbulence. While science has long understood that fluctuating estrogen levels can influence mood, a growing body of research suggests that the story a woman tells herself about this transition matters just as much as the chemistry happening inside her. If a woman believes that this stage of life means the end of her value, the loss of her attractiveness, or the inevitable breakdown of her relationships, those beliefs can become a heavy psychological burden. This is the territory explored by a recent study investigating how deeply held misconceptions about menopause might be fueling feelings of sadness and hopelessness in women navigating this period.

Researchers Elif Merve Topçu, Kerime Derya Beydağ, and Nursel Alp Dal set out to examine the connection between these myths and the mental state of women in the perimenopausal phase. This specific window of time, known as perimenopause, is defined by irregular menstrual cycles that can vary in length by several days or even stretch into months of absence before periods stop entirely. The team conducted their investigation online between April and September 2025, gathering data from 298 women aged 45 to 50. To understand the landscape of their beliefs, the researchers used a specialized questionnaire designed to measure how strongly women agreed with common sayings and misconceptions about menopause, such as the idea that it inevitably ruins a woman's sex life or her place in the family. They paired this with a separate scale to gauge the severity of depressive symptoms, looking for patterns between what women believed and how they felt.

The results revealed a clear and troubling link between what women think and how they suffer. The average participant was nearly 48 years old, and a significant portion had never received formal information about menopause, nor had they consulted a doctor about the changes they were experiencing. When the researchers analyzed the responses, they found that the women held a moderate level of belief in these myths. More importantly, the data showed that as a woman's belief in these negative stories increased, so did her symptoms of depression. The connection was not weak or accidental; the study found a steady, positive relationship where higher scores on the myth-belief scale corresponded directly with higher scores on the depression scale. This suggests that the more a woman buys into the idea that menopause is a time of loss and decline, the more likely she is to experience genuine psychological distress.

Digging deeper into the specific types of myths, the researchers discovered that certain fears carried more weight than others. Beliefs that menopause would negatively impact a woman's sexual life or her standing within her family and social circle were the strongest predictors of depression risk. For every small increase in the belief that menopause harms one's sex life, the risk of experiencing mild or worse depression rose noticeably. The effect was even more pronounced for beliefs regarding family and social roles; a slight increase in the conviction that menopause would damage a woman's relationships or social value led to a substantial jump in the risk of depression. These findings indicate that the psychological toll of menopause is not driven solely by hormones, but is significantly amplified by the cultural narratives women absorb about what this transition means for their identity and their worth.

The study also highlighted a gap in support and knowledge. More than half of the women surveyed had never been taught about menopause, and nearly two-thirds had not sought medical advice for their symptoms. Many viewed the period as a negative experience, and fewer than a quarter felt they had adequate support from loved ones. The researchers noted that women who felt unsupported or who held negative views of the menopausal process scored higher on both the myth-belief and depression scales. This points to a cycle where a lack of accurate information allows harmful myths to take root, which in turn isolates women and deepens their emotional struggle. The authors conclude that to truly support women during this time, healthcare providers and communities must do more than manage physical symptoms. They must actively work to dismantle the false stories surrounding menopause, offering education and counseling that helps women see this life stage as a natural transition rather than a personal failure or a social death sentence.