Women's reproductive related disorders: a new proposal for the mental health field

Recently, a research group has suggested the existence of women's disorders that may be grouped together as reproductive-related disorders, characterized by their timing (related to reproductive processes), shared vulnerability, and a common pathophysiology. Symptoms of reproductive-related disorders could be different among women, but are consistent within each individual woman and always present during reproductive-life periods including pregnancy, postpartum, and the premenstrual and perimenopausal periods. An association between hormonal changes and affective disorders is suggested as a physiopathology process of reproductive-related disorders, with an abnormal adaptation to hormonal changes in vulnerable women. In this paper we describe some characteristics of premenstrual dysphoria disorder, postpartum depression, and perimenopausal depression. A proposed pathophysiology of these disorders is described and pharmacologic options for treatment are also reviewed.