Pathways to depressed mood for midlife women: observations from the Seattle Midlife Women's Health Study

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to develop and test a multidimensional model of depressed mood experienced by women during midlife. Three pathways to depressed mood were tested for their explanatory power, including menopausal transition, stressful life context, and health status pathways in a multiethnic sample (N = 337). Multiple measures for each variable in the three paths included the CESD and SCL 90 depression scales, menopausal changes questions, vasomotor symptoms rated in a daily health diary. Life Events Scale, Attitudes toward Menopause and Attitudes toward Aging Scales, and chronic health problems and perceived health ratings. The stressful life context pathway was most influential in accounting for depressed mood. Health status had a direct effect on depressed mood and an indirect effect through stress. The menopausal changes pathway had little explanatory power. These results support the need for clinicians to look beyond menopausal status to the broader context of midlife women's lives.