Self-Help CBT and the Management of Perimenopausal Symptoms in Working Women
About 80% of women experience vasomotor symptoms (VMS) – hot flashes and night sweats — as they transition into the menopause phase. For most, the symptoms are manageable, but for a sizeable subset of midlife women, these symptoms can negatively affect sleep, mood, and quality of life. While clinical guidelines suggest that menopausal vasomotor symptoms (VMS) typically last from 6 months to 2 years, recent research suggests that for many women, [...]
After Stillbirth Women Are at Increased Risk for Depression
In the United States, about one out of every 160 pregnancies ends in stillbirth, defined as a pregnancy loss occurring after 20 weeks' gestation. Perinatal loss is a traumatic event for women and their families. While we clearly understand the potential for perinatal loss to cause significant emotional consequences, we have relatively little data on the prevalence of anxiety and depressive illness in this population of women. The Stillbirth Collaborative Research [...]
Fertility Treatment More Common in Women with Bulimia Nervosa
Menstrual irregularities, including amenorrhea, are common among women with eating disorders. Given the menstrual abnormalities, there has been concern that women with eating disorders might be less likely to conceive naturally. A recent study has examined rates of fertility treatment among women with eating disorders. In this study, women were enrolled prenatally as part of Generation R study, a prospective population cohort study based in the Netherlands. Outcomes were assessed in [...]
Age at Menopause and Lifetime Cognitive Functioning: Findings from a British Cohort Study
Research has suggested a relationship between the age at which a woman goes through menopause and her general cognitive functioning, specifically that better cognitive function is observed in women who enter into menopause at a later age, as compared to an earlier age. A recent study seeks to examine this relationship while adjusting for many of the factors known to be associated with cognitive function, such as early childhood cognitive function, [...]
Weekly Roundup for JULY 7, 2018: Recent Publications in Women’s Mental Health
This week, there are two very interesting articles on the importance of folic acid supplementation during pregnancy. Not only does folic acid reduce the risk of neural tube defects, it may affect other aspects of brain development associated and may reduce the risk of psychosis and possibly other neuropsychiatric disorders in children. In another study, Kronenfeld looked at developmental outcomes in children exposed to antidepressants in breast milk. Ruta Nonacs, MD PhD [...]
Lithium Use During Pregnancy: Results From an International Cohort Study
While we use lithium less commonly now than we have in the past, lithium is still one of the very best mood stabilizers we have. And with regard to its use during pregnancy, we have studies going back nearly 50 years. Although nothing much has been written about the reproductive safety of lithium over the last few decades, two major studies have been published over the last year. About a year [...]