Abstract
<p>Objective: Studies show a clear link between depression and vasomotor symptoms (VMS), such as hot flashes, during menopause. However, many studies suffer from a key methodological limitation in assessing depression via the CES-D scale, which is better conceptualized as a measure of general distress that contains elements of both anxiety and depression. Thus, studies might in fact have found links between VMS and depression, anxiety, or both phenomena. Method: We investigated the unique role of depressive versus anxious symptoms in VMS in perimenopause and early postmenopause in a nationwide sample of 227 women (Study 1) and in 116 women from the nationwide longitudinal MIDUS-2 study (Study 2). Results: We found that after controlling for general distress, symptoms unique to anxiety (anxious arousal) were strongly related to VMS severity; symptoms unique to depression (anhedonia) were not. We replicated this finding using data from the nationwide MIDUS-2 study. Conclusions: Symptoms unique to anxiety, rather than those unique to depression, may be particularly relevant to hot flashes in menopause.</p>