A study published in Nature Mental Health reveals that women may be at higher risk of developing mania and major depressive disorder during perimenopause, which is the period of time around menopause. Study: Exploration of first onsets of mania, schizophrenia spectrum disorders and major depressive disorder in perimenopause . Image Credit: SpeedKingz/Shutterstock.
com Background Perimenopause refers to the years around the final menstrual period when the ovaries gradually stop working. About 80% of women develop neuropsychiatric symptoms during this period, including mood-related symptoms, cognitive dysfunction, sleep disturbances, and, most commonly, hot flashes. Only a handful of studies have suggested that perimenopause may increase the risk of developing psychiatric complications, including major depressive disorder, schizophrenia spectrum disorders, and bipolar disorder.
Previous studies investigating the effect of reproductive ageing on psychiatric disorders exhibit some major limitations, which are associated with the difficulties in accurately determining ovarian aging. Many epidemiological studies use chronological age as a proxy for menopausal age, which might not be accurate as there is an over-20-year range variation in age at menopause. In this study, scientists have explored the associations between perimenopausal periods and the risk of first-onset psychiatric disorders, including mania, major depressive disorder, and schizophrenia spectrum disorders.
Study desi.