The prevalence of depression in menopausal women in China: A meta-analysis of observational studies

Depressive symptoms (depression thereafter) are common among menopausal women but findings across studies have been inconsistent. This meta-analysis examined the pooled prevalence of depression among Chinese menopausal women.Two investigators independently searched both international (PubMed, EMBASE and PsycINFO) and Chinese (CNKI, WanFang, SinoMed and VIP) databases from their inception date until 9 April 2019. Studies that reported the prevalence of depression as measured by the Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD) were pooled using a random-effects model.Twenty-three cross-sectional studies were included in the meta-analysis. The pooled prevalence of depression in menopausal Chinese women was 36.3% (95% CI: 27.5-45.1%), with mild depression of 18.6% (95% CI: 13.4-23.8%), moderate depression of 15.3% (95% CI: 9.4-21.3%), and severe depression of 3.7% (95% CI: 1.9-5.5%). Meta-regression analyses revealed that older age (B = 0.12, z = 8.18, p < 0.001) and better study quality (B = 0. 24, z = 8.33, p < 0.001) was significantly associated with higher depression prevalence.Depression is common among menopausal Chinese women. Due to its negative impact on health, regular screening and effective treatments should be developed for this population.