Name
Menopause in Primary Care: Validation, Education and Collaboration
Description
Discussions about menopause, particularly the associated mental health issues, are at an all-time high thanks to a consortium of female physicians experiencing menopause themselves and their willingness to take on the establishment for women everywhere. The numbers of female patients prescribed anti-depressants during this critical time in their lives, often by PCPs, is staggering, particularly since menopause itself is sometimes barely discussed in the visit. It is imperative that those working in integrated care settings be able to ask the most important questions about where a woman is in her menopause journey when evaluating them for behavioral health services and being able to offer sound treatment and resources that validates and normalizes their experience.
Liz Nikol
Content Level
All Audience
Tags
Complex Patient Care, Patient-centered care or Patient perspectives, Team-based care
Session Type
Concurrent
SIG or Committee
Primary Care Behavioral Health (PCBH)
Objective 1
Understand the mental health components of menopause
Objective 2
Offer interventions that improve quality of life for women and their families
Objective 3
Educate and partner more effectively with providers to treat menopausal patients with a larger toolkit.
Content Reference 1
https://menopause.org/press-releases/new-study-identifies-gaps-in-menopause-care-in-primary-care-settings
Content Reference 2
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39352126/
Content Reference 3
https://magazine.hms.harvard.edu/articles/mental-health-aspects-menopause
Content Reference 4
www.thelancet.com/series/menopause-2024
Content Reference 5
Haver, M.C. (2024). The new menopause: navigating your path through hormonal change with purpose, power, and facts. Rodale.