AbstractMenopause is a daunting time in a women’s life. In the medical literature, Menopause has been regularly referred to as a defciency state and a condition to be actively medically managed. Perimenopause is defned by the WHO as the 2–8 years preceding menopause and the 1-year period after fnal menses, resulting from the loss of follicular activity. Perimenopause includes the period immediately prior to menopause and the frst year after the fnal menstrual period (FMP). At this stage, the ovaries become resistant to the stimulatory effects of the pituitary gonadotropins luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH). Women, during the perimenopause often have irregular menses, heavier and longer menstrual periods and prolonged episodes of amenorrhea. In addition, the perimenopause is marked by vasomotor symptoms. There is undoubtedly a large group of women who experience psychological distress that coincides with the hormonal function of the climacteric, as demonstrated by the large population of women reporting psychological complaints at menopause clinics. Results from a multiethnic community based cohort study of premenopausal and perimenopausal women showed that mood symptoms and irritability are more likely to occur in perimenopausal than the premenopausal women. Recent epidemiologic studies have also documented an increased risk of frst onset and recurrent major and minor depressions during the perimenopause as compared with the premenopause. This review paper is an attempt to highlight the problems of women in perimenopause and factors contributing to psychiatric morbidity during this time