Tania Perich1
1Western Sydney University, Australia
Biography:
Tania has worked in research primarily in the treatment and management of bipolar disorder and depression. Currently Tania is working as a researcher in the area of bipolar disorder at Western Sydney University where her focus is on researching the benefits of psychological interventions in the management of this condition. She also focusses on the impact of hormonal events on women with bipolar disorder and in particular menopause. She also has an interest in factors associated with living well with bipolar disorder including quality of life, recovery, understanding stigma and improving diagnosis and treatment outcomes.
There has been considerable research that has assessed the impact of the menopause transition on mental health, with focus specifically on it’s impacts on depression and anxiety symptoms. However, the bulk of this research has been conducted in non-psychiatric samples.
Serious Mental Illnesses (SMI) are broadly considered to be mental health conditions that are chronic and lifelong. These may include bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, personality disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, anxiety disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder, alcohol use, substance use, and eating disorders.
Although mental health is considered important during the menopause transition, little is known about the impact of menopause on women living with an SMI. This presentation will present an narrative overview of the existing literature on how menopause may impact women living with a SMI and consider its effects on the emergence of new symptoms and symptom severity in this population. Educational needs relevant to this population will be addressed, along with the consideration of reproductive, perimenopause, menopause and post menopause phases.