Parenting Corner

Low Thyroid Can Increase Vulnerability to Depression

ow levels of thyroid hormones can make people -- particularly women -- more vulnerable to depression, says Peter Whybrow, M.D., director of the UCLA Neuro psycluatric Institute. His research has shown that approximately 5 to 10 percent of women who suffer from major depression have some metabolic evidence of diminished thyroid hormone.

Thyroid disease is four to 10 times more common in women than in men.

"Psychotherapy, antidepressant drugs and other treatments for depression are not as effective in someone with mild hypothyroidism. If the woman is given treatments to increase thyroid function, however, the response to other treatments can be improved, dramatically in some cases," Dr. Whybrow says.

Thyroid hormones control the metabolism of the body and particularly the energy systems of the body. "Hormones establish the climate in which nerve cells communicate with each other," Dr. Whybrow explains. If there is too little thyroid, one's vulnerability to depression is increased. As women age, they are at increased risk for disease. Any woman over the age of 45 who has a depression that has not responded to other therapies should consider talking to her physician about a thyroid evaluation, Dr. Whybrow says.