“Extreme emotions” - the impact of reproductive life events for women living with bipolar disorder

Abstract

Little is known about how women with bipolar disorder construct and experience reproductive life events across the lifespan. We analyzed qualitative data from 29 semi-structured interviews with women aged 22-63 years (reproductive, menopause and post-menopause phases) using thematic analysis through a social constructionist framework. Themes of “Losing a sense of self-agency and self-worth” contained accounts of feeling out of control because of both bipolar disorder and reproductive life events. “Building a sense of personal autonomy and positive self-image” included accounts of acceptance and management of mood change over time, particularly for women in menopause and post-menopause life phases.

Authors' contributions

Tania Perich – wrote the article, analyzed data and developed the study design and project. Isabel Fraser – wrote the article, collected and analyzed data. Jane Ussher – wrote the article, analyzed data and developed the study design and project.

Ethical approval

The study was approved by the Western Sydney University Human Research Ethics Committee (H12834).

Consent to participate

Informed consent was obtained from all participants.

Consent for publication

Informed consent to publish deidentified results was obtained from all participants. Availability of data and material Available on request.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).