Mental illness and menopause: a patient and family perspective.

Background: Menopause is a significant biological event in the life of every woman, including women with mental disorders. This brief report describes the results of a survey of 39 patients with mental illness and their family members regarding perceived effects of menopause on mental illness.

Methods: The survey was distributed to participants attending a National Alliance for the Mentally Ill educational presentation on menopause and mental health.

Results: Most participants (15/39; 38.5%) had depression or had a family member with depression. Groups with other mental disorders were less represented, with 8/39 (20.5%) having schizophrenia, 6/39 (15.4%) having bipolar illness, and 10/39 (25.6%) having other disorders such as anxiety disorders or personality disorders. The mean age of the individuals/family members with mental illness was 51.2 years. Most participants (21/39; 53.8%) felt that menopause might be affecting their emotional symptoms or those of their family members, while 11/39 (28.2%) felt that their illness or their family member's illness was worse because of menopause or approaching menopause. There was a trend for perception of menopause affecting mental illness to be stronger among individuals with bipolar illness and depression, as compared to individuals with schizophrenia and other disorders (P = .052).

Conclusions: Menopause is a significant life event among women with mental illness. Nearly 30% of individuals affected by mental illness perceive menopause to worsen symptoms of mental illness.