Menopause and hospital admission with major mental health conditions: A population-based study

ObjectiveTo achieve a better understanding of whether menopause has an observable effect on major mental health conditions in midlife for women, we set out to examine population-level effects. We used national data to determine whether hospital admissions for women with severe mental health conditions were affected at the time of menopause.MethodWe accessed data on hospital separations and admitted days for the financial year 2022-2023, from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW). We descriptively graphed the data by age for people against hospital separations per 1000 population or admitted days per 1000 population.ResultsHospital separation rates and admissions for women with major depression and bipolar disorder show peri- and post-menopausal increases, and are relatively higher than for men of the same age, while women with schizophrenia show a peak in the perimenopausal period.ConclusionsWe have found detectable trends in hospital admissions and admitted days for peri- and post-menopausal women with bipolar disorder and depression that differ in trajectory from men. Further lifespan research is recommended to see if these are longitudinal trends across different age cohorts.