The context of menopause: psychotropic drug use and menopausal status

The menopause has been cited as a causal factor in psychotropic drug use among women in midlife. This paper first examines the stereotype of the menopausal woman and the theories which can be used to predict that she will be a high user of psychotropic medication. It then examines the actual use of psychotropics and the relationship between use and menopausal status using data from a study of 2500 women, aged 40-59, living in the Province of Manitoba, Canada.