Depression Symptoms to Watch for in Women

While depression is a medical condition that affects everyone, there are certain types of depression that are unique to women.

According to Tasneem Malik, M.D., an internal medicine doctor at Mercy Personal Physicians at Lutherville, she always gives her patients a depression screening.

Dr. Malik emphasized the importance of being patients’ being honest during the screening.

Some symptoms to watch out for include:

• Sadness
• Feeling hopeless
• Becoming uninterested in things you like to do
• Difficulty concentrating
• Changes in sleep or appetite
• Thoughts of death

Certain types of depression can be centered around women specifically.

“When a girl starts puberty, menstruation, there’s a condition called menstrual dysphoric disorder, PMDD, where they have mood changes, they feel depressed or anxious around the time of their period,” Dr. Malik said. “Then there’s postpartum depression.”

She added that “when a woman hits menopause, there’s a lot of anxiety and depression, mood changes that come with menopause.”

The first step in treatment is to speak with a cognitive-behavioral therapist, Dr. Malik recommended.

If symptoms are severe enough, medication may be required

Dr. Malik added that lifestyle changes, like exercise, meditation, and yoga, can make a difference.

View Mercy internist Dr. Tasneem Malik’s interview regarding identifying depression and anxiety issues in women.