Series overview and introduction

Abstract

Studies and treatments for the symptomatic menopausal woman have been reviewed elsewhere. The aim of this clinical review series is to examine the evidence for the diagnosis and treatment of the woman who presents with distressing symptoms that she attributes to menopause, whose actual etiology may be a psychiatric disorder, a pre- or co-existing problem such as sleep or cognitive problems, or a dynamic interaction among one of these and a symptomatic menopause. This series of articles will review new research on somatic symptoms of depression, the depression continuum and its impact on morbidity and functioning, treatment issues related to remission of depression, cognitive decline or impairment secondary to a mood disorder, sleep problems in women and their impact on well-being and functioning, and attention and working memory problems in women. These will all be reviewed in the context of the vulnerable female patient and her experience of increased or new distressing symptoms during her menopausal transition. Recommendations for the diagnosis and management of women with psychiatric comorbidity and a symptomatic menopause are discussed.

Acknowledgements

The authors are thankful to the medical editors, Alison Briton, Pam Johnson and Joan Cleeve for their help with this multi-article, complex clinical review series that has undergone many rewrites; to Lucy Tipton, Commissioning Editor, Elisa Manzotti, Editorial Director, and Karen Rowland, Head of Production, Future Science Group, for their enduring efforts on behalf of this supplement; and to Expert Review of Neurotherapeutics, the Future Science Group, for generously agreeing to publish the entire series open access with educational release of copyright. Dr Alexander is grateful to Robin Dea, MD, Regional Director, Mental Health Services of Northern California Kaiser Permanente, and Chair, Chiefs of Psychiatry, for her support with this project and for it’s adaptation for use in the delivery of care to patients in Northern California Kaiser Permanente Psychiatry’s ‘Psychiatry Model of Care Program’, as well as outreach to other Kaiser Permanente Regions around the USA; to Leventhal/Kline Management Inc. and its principals, Harald Leventhal and Benita Kline, a nonprofit management firm that has provided financial management, accounting, administrative, tax and compliance services to AFWH since its inception (www.philanthropicadvisor.com); and to Johanna Lackner, MSW, MPH, of the CMEI for her invaluable help with the continuing medical education aspects of the supplement. Dr Alexander wishes to express her deepest appreciation to Professor Lorraine Dennerstein, MD, without whom this work would not have been possible. We wish to dedicate this supplement to Dr Dennerstein, who retires from her university full time position after an illustrious and respected career in menopause research, women’s health, and psychiatry. Her research has greatly influenced this field of women’s health and was central to the successful completion and publication of this ambitious review series on the psychiatrically comorbid patient experiencing a symptomatic menopause. Dr Alexander also wishes to take this opportunity to express her sincerest gratitude to her mentors in the fields of women’s health, psychiatry, clinical research and models of clinical care delivery, in the USA, Dr David Baron, Professor and Chair, Department of Psychiatry, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Dr Regina Casper, Professor Emeritus, and Dr Lorrin Koran, Professor, Stanford University Department of Psychiatry, Palo Alto, California; Dr Robin, Dea, Chair, Chiefs of Psychiatry, Northern California Kaiser Permanente, Oakland, California; Dr Steven Katz, Professor and Executive Vice Chairman, retired, New York University School of Medicine Department of Psychiatry, New York City, NY; Dr Philip Sarrel, Professor Emeritus of Obstetrics and Gynecology and of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut; Dr Nancy Fugate Woods, Dean, School of Nursing, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington; and in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, Dr Henry Burger, Professor, Prince Henry’s Institute of Medical Research, Monash Medical Center, Dr Susan R Davis, Professor of Women’s Health, Women’s Health Program, Department of Medicine, Monash University, Alfred Hospital and Dr Lorraine Dennerstein, Professor, Office for Gender and Health, Department of Psychiatry, University of Melbourne.

Funding information

The support for the writing and content of these clinical reviews came from the authors’ respective institutions, the authors individually, and from individual private financial donations to the Alexander Foundation for Women’s Health, a 501(c)-3 non-profit organization. Dr Alexander donates her time to the Alexander Foundation for Women’s Health (AFWH) and has not received any remuneration for this effort from the foundation. We are thankful to the Lilly Pharmaceutical Grant Office (LGO) for their educational grant to AFWH in support of Dr Krista Kotz, PhD, MPH, in 2005 and of the medical editors, Pam Johnson, Alison Briton, and Joan Cleeve. Continuing medical education credits for the entirety of the clinical review series were supported by individual private financial donations to AFWH, by the Lilly educational grant, and the generosity of the CMEI. Both AFWH and CMEI follow the ACCME’s updated standards for commercial support. For a complete discussion of ACCME philosophies for accredited providers, standards for commercial support, as well as "Ask ACCME" please go to www.accme.org/index.cfm/fa/faq.home/Faq.cfm.

Disclosures

Jeanne Leventhal Alexander has no relevant financial relationships. Lorraine Dennerstein had received grants and/or research support from Organon and Wyeth; is a consultant to Procter and Gamble, and Bayer Schering. The content and views presented in this supplement are those of the faculty/authors and do not reflect those of CMEI, AFWH, Kaiser Permanente Medical Group, Northern California, LGO or any of the institutional, academic or employment affiliations of the authors respectively.

Content & views

The content and views presented in this activity are those of the faculty/authors and do not reflect those of their institutions and affilliations in the USA, AFWH, Collaborative Medical Education Institute, University of California at Los Angeles, Emory University, University of Hawaii at Honolulu, Irma Lerma Rangel College of Pharmacy, Kaiser Permanente Northern California or Southern California, Kaiser Permanente Division of Research Northern California, Lilly Grant Office, Marin County Department of Health and Human Services, National Institute of Mental Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Rockefeller University, Stanford University, University of San Francisco, State University of New York at Buffalo, University of Washington at Seattle; in Melbourne, Australia, the University of Melbourne, Monash University and the Prince Henry's Institute of Medical Research; in Italy, the University of Florence; and/or any of the other institutional/academic/employment affiliations of the authors, respectively.