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After decades of relative neglect, menopause is suddenly everywhere—in the news, on social media and in conversations among friends. Some are calling it the "meno-boom," and booms attract business.

The Canadian menopause wellness market—meaning the products, treatments and services designed and sold to help women manage symptoms before, during and after menopause—is projected to reach a revenue of US$784.9 million by 2030.

But alongside the marketing are sensational claims and outright misinformation, including about how the menopausal transition affects mental health. That's exactly what my research team has been studying for more than a decade.

And as a woman now navigating perimenopause myself, I have a personal appreciation for why these conversations matter. I'm far from being in a minority: The Canadian Institutes of Health Research estimates that about 10 million people in Canada are currently navigating some stage of perimenopause, menopause or postmenopause transition.

So let's cut through the noise. Here's what the evidence actually says about menopause and mental health.

The increased risk of depressive mood arises early in what researchers call the early menopause transition. This stage is marked by menstrual cycles that are consistently seven days shorter or longer relative to a woman's usual cycle.

Someone whose cycle used to average 30 days, for example, might start having 23- or 37-day cycles.

So unless you're tracking your cycle very closely, it can be easy to miss any connection between midlife mood changes and perimenopause.

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