Summary
There is increasing awareness of the influence of female reproductive life events on the course of bipolar disorder. Here, we describe the case histories of 5 women diagnosed with postpartum psychosis who subsequently experienced major mood disorders in relation to the perimenopause. This case series suggests that (a) the perimenopause may be a time of increased risk for women who experienced postpartum bipolar episodes and (b) periods of hormonal change represent a major trigger for bipolar episodes in some women.
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Correspondence: Ian Jones Ph.D., MRCPsych, Department of Psychological Medicine, Henry Wellcome Building for Biomedical Research in Wales, Cardiff University, Heath Park, Cardiff CF14 4XN, U.K.
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Robertson Blackmore, E., Craddock, N., Walters, J. et al. Is the perimenopause a time of increased risk of recurrence in women with a history of bipolar affective postpartum psychosis? A case series. Arch Womens Ment Health 11, 75–78 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00737-008-0215-2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00737-008-0215-2