Name
ELO3 - Transforming Access: Menopause, Mental Health and Integrated Care
Date & Time
Thursday, October 8, 2026, 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Location Name
Regency B (2nd Floor)
Description

Menopause and its mental health effects are increasingly in the spotlight due to social media and greater access to publication and research. Women are beginning to challenge long‑standing gaps in care. With the FDA’s 2025 removal of the estrogen black box warning, hormone discussions have become more common among midlife women, especially in Primary Care. Despite this, many are prescribed antidepressants without adequate attention to their menopause stage. In integrated care settings, clinicians must know how to ask the right questions, recognize key symptoms, and provide validating, evidence‑based support. Doing so ensures women feel understood, appropriately treated, and empowered during this critical life transition.

Speakers
Liz Nikol, DBH, LCSW, A-CBT
Jennifer Hodgson, PhD, LMFT
Elizabeth Wolff, MD, MPA
Content Level
All Audience
Tags
Medical, Patient-centered care or Patient perspectives, Primary Care Behavioral Health Model
Session Type
ELO
Objective 1
Identify the key hormonal changes of peri‑menopause and menopause and describe how these shifts contribute to common physical, cognitive, and emotional symptoms frequently seen in primary care.
Objective 2
Utilize targeted clinical questions to assess where a patient is in their menopause journey and determine how this stage may be influencing their behavioral health presentation in primary care settings.
Objective 3
Apply strategies to validate a patient’s experience, normalize their symptoms, and provide evidence‑based, practical interventions from a variety of modalities that support well‑being during the menopause transition.
Content Reference 1

Bangle, A., Williams, D., Walters, J., & Nguyen, L. (2025). Cognitive functioning in perimenopause: An updated systematic review and meta‑analysis. Psychology and Aging. Advance online publication.

Content Reference 2

Harvard Medical School. (2024). Mental health aspects of menopause. Harvard Medicine Magazine. https://magazine.hms.harvard.edu/articles/mental-health-aspects-menopause

Content Reference 3

Haver, M. C. (2024). The new menopause: Navigating your path through hormonal change with purpose, power, and facts. Rodale.

Content Reference 4

The Menopause Society. (2024). New study identifies gaps in menopause care in primary care settings. https://menopause.org/press-releases/new-study-identifies-gaps-in-menopause-care-in-primary-care-settings

Content Reference 5

Zhu, C., Thomas, E. H. X., Arunogiri, S., Spector, A., Li, Q., & Gurvich, C. (2025). Factors associated with subjective cognitive symptoms during the menopause transition. Menopause. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1097/GME.0000000000002651