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NCMH (National Centre for Mental Health)

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Women's Winter Webinars: menopause and mental illness

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NCMH (National Centre for Mental Health)

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Women's Winter Webinars: The latest in PMDD research

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Find out more and take part in our Mums and Mental Health research today: https://www.ncmh.info/help-with-research/mums-and-mental-health/

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About this study

We are trying to understand more about the causes and triggers of severe mental illness during pregnancy and following childbirth.

You are invited to take part in this research if you have had a baby, and this may or may not have been followed by an episode of mental illness.

If you decide to take part, we will ask you to provide us with some information about you, your menstrual cycle and your mental health in order to help us answer these important research questions.

We also want to identify people who would be willing to be approached about taking part in further mental health research projects.

We need as many people as possible to take part and help us make a difference.

What will I have to do?

Taking part is voluntary: it's up to you to choose if you want to sign up.

If you join us, you'll be asked whether you would be willing to:

1. Provide us with your contact details (e.g. address, email address and phone number) and some personal information (e.g. date of birth, ethnic group and employment status).

2. Answer some questions about experiences of severe mental illness during pregnancy and following childbirth and the care and support received. This will take approximately 20-30 minutes.

3. Allow us to contact you in the future about this study and other studies that you may want to take part in. There will be no obligation for you to take part in these future opportunities.

4. Allow us to contact you every 6-12 months, to invite you to provide more information about your mental and physical health and your lifestyle.

5. Allow us to share anonymous information with other researchers if they have scientific and ethical approval for the questions that they would like to answer.

We will use your answers to improve our understanding of mental illness and help find better treatments in the future.
Once you have joined, you can choose if you want to take part in any of the questionnaires, studies, or events that we tell you about when we get in touch with you.

FAQs

Looking for more information first? We've put together the answers to some frequently asked questions.

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Mums and Mental Health (MaM) survey | NCMH

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Read the terms and conditions of taking part in our maternal mental health research, then complete the online questionnaire.

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In a rush? Catch the webinar highlights over on our NCMH blog: https://www.ncmh.info/2024/02/06/how-can-the-menopause-negatively-impact-mental-health/

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It is estimated that around 70% of the 1.2 billion women over the age of 45 in the world develop neurological and psychiatric symptoms during the perimenopause (the years before the final menstrual period).

The perimenopause is marked by unpredictable fluctuations in reproductive hormones, and cycles without ovulation which can typically be expected to last for around five years.

Research also suggests that perimenopausal women are at a higher risk of developing major depression, schizophrenia, or bipolar disorder, whilst women who already have a diagnosis will experience a worsening of symptoms.

However, there is little and often inconsistent information available on the link between the perimenopause and mental health, and what might predispose someone to become unwell during this transition to the menopause. This lack of information poses a major risk to women, their families, and health professionals.

For the first instalment of this series, we were joined by Professor Arianna Di Florio, Lisa Shitomi-Jones, Dr Clare Dolman to discuss how the menopause can impact mental health through research and a lived experience perspective.

The perimenopause - lots of interest but little evidence

The association between the menopause and mental illness is described by Professor Arianna Di Florio as often trivialised and misunderstood.

"We know that over 50% of people going through the menopause experience neuropsychiatric conditions, such as depression and insomnia.

However, the mechanisms behind experiences of mental ill-health are different from person to person, which makes providing a broad treatment for all difficult.

Providing honest answers also becomes increasingly difficult when looking at the existing scope of research on menopause and mental illness, as the majority of which are reviews or case studies of previously collected data.

This led researchers working on the Reproductive Mental Health Programme at Cardiff University, Professor Arianna Di Florio and Lisa Shitomi-Jones, to further investigate the risk of developing a mental illness during the perimenopause.

"The key question behind our research is to ask if the perimenopause is really a period increased risk of mental illness."

Is there a direct link between the perimenopause and mental illness?

So far, the research conducted at Cardiff University has looked at links between the perimenopause and specific mental health conditions like major depressive disorder, anxiety disorders, mania, and schizophrenia, as opposed to symptoms more generally associated with depression.

Pooling together information from an existing dataset, UK Biobank, the initial research has identified a heightened rate of mania (bipolar disorder) during the perimenopausal period.

However, what is interesting is that those who are at a heightened risk have no previous experiences of mental ill-health.

So, what does this association between bipolar and the perimenopause mean?

Professor Di Florio is curious to further investigate if this heightened risk of bipolar can be directly associated with the perimenopause, of if this is due to the ageing process at this life stage more generally.

"Although the most common psychiatric presentations around the perimenopause are related to depression and anxiety and bipolar disorder is on the rare side, the link is still quite specific.

"The consequences of developing bipolar disorder in middle age can be devastating, because most people don't think it can be possible at this stage in life," Professor Di Florio continued.

So far, Professor Di Florio has used this background of research to open a UK-wide second opinion women's mental health clinic, based in Cardiff.

This free of charge service provides consultations for women experiencing mental illness that is associated with reproductive life events like menstruation, childbirth, and menopause to allow them further support in diagnosis and treatment.

Find out more about the Cardiff University Psychiatry Service (CUPS)

Menopause education is needed at a national scale

Dr Clare Dolman, a researcher based at King's College London with lived experience of bipolar, discussed how the current views on the menopause in society:

"It's only recently that public awareness has been raised about how debilitating and life-changing the menopause can be for many women."

However, this awareness is very much needed due to the plummeting numbers of professional women leaving the workplace during the menopause because of the severity of their symptoms.

"Almost 900,000 women have left their jobs because of menopausal symptoms."

If enough was known about the impact of hormones on the brain, it could be possible to predict which women would be more likely to develop severe symptoms in times of hormonal flux, like childbirth or the perimenopause.

This is the critical information that doctors and clinicians, as well as patients, need to know in order to be proactive before reaching the perimenopause and potentially becoming unwell.

To address the lack of knowledge and research surrounding the menopause and mental health, Bipolar UK recently launched a national commission which included a section of research dedicated to women of menopausal age.

This data revealed that 89% of women asked said they had never been told by a heath professional they were more likely to have an episode of bipolar at this time.

The full commission is available to read via Bipolar UK.

Don't miss out!

The next instalment in the Women's Winter Webinar series will be discussing the latest on how hormones can impact mental health, including the latest in premenstural dypsphoric disorder (PMDD) research.
Reserve your space via Eventbrite.
Read more

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How can the menopause negatively impact mental health? | NCMH

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It is estimated that around 70% of the 1.2 billion women over the age of 45 in the world develop [...]

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Read more about or contact our speakers:

Professor Arianna di Florio

Lisa Shitomi-Jones

Dr Clare Dolman

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NCMH's online study: https://www.ncmh.info/help-with-research/online-study/

While we don't have a menopause-specific study open at the moment we need as many people as possible over the age of 18 to complete our online study. (If you permit us, we'll get in touch when there is a menopause study recruiting)

Whether or not you've experienced mental ill-health, you can join more than 25,000 people who are helping us build an anonymised data resource for mental health researchers for the future. Take part today!

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Read the terms and conditions of taking part in our research, then complete the online questionnaire.

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NCMH's online study:

We need as many people as possible over the age of 18 to complete our NCMH online study.

Whether or not you've experienced mental ill-health, you can join more than 25,000 people who are helping us build an anonymised data resource for mental health researchers of the future. Take part today!

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Read the terms and conditions of taking part in our research, then complete the online questionnaire.

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Reproductive Mental Health Programme based at Cardiff University

Second opinion clinic: Cardiff University Psychiatry Service

Blogs on the menopause from Action on Postpartum Psychosis (APP)

Findings from The Bipolar Commission

Watch: Menopause and bipolar webinar from Bipolar UK

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Stay up to date with the latest NCMH news 📢

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Stay up to date with the latest NCMH news 📢

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Read more about or contact our speakers:

Professor Arianna di Florio

Chloe Apsey

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Find out more and take part in our PMDD research today: https://www.ncmh.info/help-with-research/preddict/

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About this study

We are trying to understand how an individual's genes and environment can help identify individuals at risk of psychiatric disorders associated with reproductive events, such as the menstrual cycle.

Our long-term aim is to help improve the current approach to diagnosis, prevention, treatment and support for individuals who are experiencing/have experienced Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD)/severe Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS).

If you decide to take part, we will ask you to provide us with some information about you, your menstrual cycle and your mental health in order to help us answer these important research questions.

We also want to identify people who would be willing to be approached about taking part in further mental health research projects.

We need as many people as possible to take part.

What will I have to do?

Taking part is voluntary: it's up to you to choose if you want to sign up.

If you join us, you'll be asked whether you would be willing to:

1. Provide us with your contact details (e.g. address, email address and phone number) and some personal information (e.g. date of birth, ethnic group and employment status).

2. Answer some questions about your experiences of PMDD/severe PMS and the care and support you have received. This will take approximately 20-25 minutes.

3. Allow us to contact you to invite you to take part in daily mood and sleep tracking over two consecutive menstrual cycles (for around two months).

4. Allow us to contact you in the future about other studies that you may want to take part in. There will be no obligation for you to take part in these future opportunities.

5. Allow us to contact you every 6-12 months, to invite you to provide more information about your mental and physical health and your lifestyle.

6. Allow us to share anonymous information with other researchers if they have scientific and ethical approval for the questions that they would like to answer.

We will use your answers to improve our understanding of mental illness and help find better treatments in the future.
Once you have joined, you can choose if you want to take part in any of the questionnaires, studies, or events that we tell you about when we get in touch with you.

FAQs

Looking for more information first? We've put together the answers to some frequently asked questions.

What is PMDD or severe PMS?

Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD) is a mood disorder with symptoms that present during the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle (this occurs about a week before the onset of menstrual bleeding/'the period') and stop at the onset of the period.

Despite PMDD being directly connected to the menstrual cycle, it is not a hormone imbalance but a negative reaction in the brain to the natural rise and fall of estrogen and progesterone that occur during the cycle. Symptoms of PMDD include:

Mood/emotional changes eg mood swings, feeling suddenly sad or tearful, or increased sensitivity to rejection

Irritability, anger, or increased interpersonal conflict

Anxiety, tension, or feelings of being keyed up or on edge

Decreased interest in usual activities eg work, school, friends, hobbies

Difficulty concentrating, focusing or thinking

And other symptoms, including physical symptoms eg breast tenderness, joint/muscle pain, bloating

Severe Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS) is similar to PMDD, with individuals experiencing a collection of emotional/and or physical symptoms during the luteal/premenstrual phase, which stop at the onset of the period. However, PMS is more common, and individuals experience fewer and usually less severe symptoms than those with PMDD.

Who is doing the study?

This study is led by the National Centre for Mental Health (NCMH). NCMH is a Welsh Government funded Research Centre, led by Cardiff, Swansea and Bangor Universities. It is being funded by Health and Care Research Wales, Welsh Government. The Director of the National Centre for Mental Health is Professor Ian Jones.

The PreDDICT project has also received additional funding from the European Research Council, awarded to Dr Arianna di Florio

How can I join the study?

You will have the opportunity to join the study once you have read through and underst oo d the information.

What are the possible benefits of taking part?

We hope that learning more about Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder and severe Premenstrual Syndrome will lead to new ways of diagnosing, treating or even preventing the illness However, these remain long-term aims and you will not benefit directly from taking part in this study.

What will happen to my personal data?

Only the study team will have access to your data and only they will contact you directly.

All information collected during the course of the research will be kept strictly confidential. There are strict laws that safeguard your privacy at every stage. In accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) (2018) and the Data Protection Act (2018), your personal information will be kept confidential by assigning a unique study code to your data. Your name and identifying information will not be passed on to anyone.

Cardiff University is the Data Controller and is committed to respecting and protecting your personal data in accordance with your expectations and Data Protection legislation. Further information about Data Protection, including:

your rights

the legal basis under which Cardiff University processes your personal data for research

Cardiff University's Data Protection Policy

how to contact the Cardiff University Data Protection Officer

how to contact the Information Commissioner's Office

may be found on the Cardiff University website.

We will keep your personal data for 15 years following the end of the research project.

After 15 years, the research team will anonymise all the personal data it has collected from, or about, you in connection with this research project. Anonymised information may be published in support of the research project and/or retained indefinitely, where it is likely to have continuing value for research purposes.

How long will it take?

First, you need to join the study. This involves reading this information and then consenting on the first page of the study. This should take about five minutes. Take as much time as you need to decide whether you wish to take part.

Once you have joined, you will be asked some questions . This should take about 20 - 25 minutes to finish. We know that we get the best data if you are able to complete these questions in one go , but if for some reason this isn't possible then you can come back to the website later because you can save your answers once you have finished a set of questions .

Can I decline or withdraw from the study?

You do not have to take part in this study. If you do decide to take part you are still free to withdraw your consent to participate in the research project at any time, without giving a reason, even after signing the consent form.

It will not be possible to withdraw any anonymised data that has already been published or in some cases, where identifiers are irreversibly removed during the course of a research project, from the point at which it has been anonymised.

What happens when the study has finished?

This is a long term study that will allow us to learn about Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder/severe Premenstrual Syndrome. The information you provide will be stored for use on a long term basis (at least 15 years).

You will not have any claim to any future commercial use of results from the study in which your data has been used. To make the best use of resources we will share data (anonymised to exclude any personal details) with different groups of researchers from the NHS, universities and commercial companies, both within the UK and abroad. However, we would stress that those organizations will never obtain access to personal/ identifying information (for example, your name, address, date of birth).

Who has reviewed the study?

Ethical approval has been obtained from the National Research Ethics Service and NHS (Research and Development) permission has also been obtained.

If you have further questions about the study please contact the study team:

National Centre for Mental Health
Cardiff University
Hadyn Ellis Building,
Maindy Road,
Cathays,
Cardiff
CF24 4HQ

Phone: 029 20688401

Fax: 029 20687100

Email: info@ncmh.info

Can I discuss the study with somebody independent of the project?

Yes, you can contact Dr Vanessa Davies on 029 2068 8340 or at daviesvj@cardiff.ac.uk. You can also write to her at:

Dr Vanessa Davies
Institute Manager
Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Institute
3rd Floor, Hadyn Ellis Building
Maindy Road
Cardiff
CF24 4HQ

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Help us learn more about PMDD. Read the terms and conditions of taking part in our research, then complete the online questionnaire.

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Reproductive Mental Health Programme based at Cardiff University

Listen: Piece of Mind podcast - PMDD research and lived experience

Second opinion clinic: Cardiff University Psychiatry Service

The International Association for Premenstrual Disorder

Blog: Understanding an overlooked condition

Watch: PMDD - Myths and misconceptions

Blog: Making menstrual health part of everyday conversation

Blog: Hormones and my mental health - PMDD makes me whole

Blog: Breaking the stigma - PMDD

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Stay up to date with the latest NCMH news 📢

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Stay up to date with the latest NCMH news 📢

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Follow us on Twitter

Follow us on Instagram

Like us on Facebook

Subscribe to our YouTube

# data[].attributes.headline
Stay up to date with the latest NCMH news 📢

# data[].attributes.subject
Stay up to date with the latest NCMH news 📢

# data[].attributes.body
Follow us on Twitter

Follow us on Instagram

Like us on Facebook

Subscribe to our YouTube

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Read more about or contact our speakers:

Professor Arianna di Florio

Professor Ian Jones

Jessica Yang

Dr Sally Wilson

Dr Jess Heron

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Reproductive Mental Health Programme based at Cardiff University

Action on Postpartum Psychosis: https://www.app-network.org

Second opinion clinic: Cardiff University Psychiatry Service

Blog: International Postpartum Psychosis Consortium

Blog: Understanding an overlooked condition

APP: Talking about postpartum psychosis - an antenatal toolkit

APP webinar: Essential knowledge for preventing maternal suicide

Watch: Postpartum psychosis - from research to recovery

Watch: Postpartum psychosis with Action on Postpartum Psychosis

Blog: New study aims to increase understanding of postpartum psychosis

Paper: Post-partum psychosis and its association with bipolar disorder in the UK: a case-control study using polygenic risk scores

Paper: Information and support needs during recovery from postpartum psychosis

APP: Support

Paper: The impact of postpartum psychosis on partners