Menopause-related quality of life in chronically mentally ill women.
OBJECTIVE
Menopause is an important life event that has not yet been well characterized among women with severe mental illness. Our goal was to evaluate menopause-related quality of life among severely mentally ill women.


METHODS
We conducted a cross-sectional assessment of perimenopausal and postmenopausal women, ages 45-55, diagnosed with schizophrenia/schizoaffective disorder, bipolar disorder, or major depression, who were receiving inpatient or outpatient psychiatric care. Women were compared regarding menopausal symptoms and quality of life using the Menopause Specific Quality of Life Scale (MENQOL).


RESULTS
Women with severe mental illnesses who were peri- and post-menopausal experienced considerable vasomotor, physical, sexual, and psychosocial symptoms related to menopause. On seven of 29 MENQOL items, women with major depression reported problems significantly more often than women with other serious mental illnesses.


CONCLUSIONS
This preliminary study indicates that psychiatrists and other physicians should consider the frequency and overlap of menopausal and psychiatric symptoms among women with serious mental illness in this age group.
Friedman
Susan Hatters
SH
Case Western Reserve University and University Hospitals of Cleveland, Ohio 44106, USA. Susan.Hatters-Friedman@uhhs.com
Sajatovic
Martha
M
Schuermeyer
Isabel N
IN
Safavi
Roknedin
R
Hays
Robert W
RW
West
Jane
J
Ignacio
Rosalinda V
RV
Blow
Frederic C
FC
D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008593:Menopause / Q000523:psychology*; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012725:Sexual Behavior / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors