Women with serious mental illness need more support and education during menopause transition

Many women struggle to find resources to help manage their menopause symptoms. For women living with a serious mental illness, the need for additional support and education during the menopause transition is even greater. A new scoping review confirmed the paucity of research on this topic and suggested a need for more psychoeducation programs. Results of the study are published online today in Menopause, the journal of The Menopause Society.

Serious mental illnesses are a group of mental health conditions often characterized by their chronicity and severity of symptoms that lead to significant functional impairment. Although definitions may vary, conditions that are usually assessed include conditions such as schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, bipolar disorder, recurrent depression, severe anxiety and eating disorders, personality disorders, and posttraumatic stress disorder. These conditions may be associated with a range of poorer physical health outcomes and higher mortality rates, with a lack of proper healthcare being a contributing factor to poorer outcomes.

The menopause transition can be a time of increased risk of depression and anxiety symptoms in nonpsychiatric people. Despite major advances in education around the menopause transition, this period in a woman’s life can often be filled with frustration over the lack of resources. For women also struggling with a mental health problem, the questions are often more numerous and the frustration more debilitating.

Although there has been considerable interest in understanding the effect of the menopause transition on mental health problems overall, little research has been undertaken to assess the effect of menopause on those living with a diagnosed chronic mental health condition. Earlier research had suggested that women with compromised mental health were more likely to report more significant menopause symptoms as well as more exaggerated mental health problems. For example, a woman diagnosed with schizophrenia may have worse psychotic symptoms during the transition. Eating disorders may also worsen because of disturbances to body image during this transitional phase.

Despite the limited number of applicable studies identified, there seems to be consensus around the idea that women living with a serious mental health condition may be ill-equipped for the menopause transition. That is why the goal of this latest review was to assess the research literature regarding psychoeducation programs in the management of menopause symptoms for women living with a mental illness.

Study results are published in the article “Psychoeducation in the management of menopause symptoms for women living with a serious mental illness: a scoping review.”

Overall, we have improved our understanding of the menopause transition and its potential effect on women’s well-being and overall functioning. However, this study is confirming what we know from other areas in medicine and public health-that we need to do a better job in providing persons with severe mental illnesses with the information, resources, and care they need to manage their health throughout their lifespans-including their midlife years.”

Dr. Claudio Soares, psychiatrist and president of The Menopause Society