Mental health issues facing women, treatment options are focus of UofL lecture

Causes of women’s mental health issues and treatment recommendations will be explored at the “Building Hope” public lecture on Tuesday, March 6.

Psychiatrist Jessica Reis, MD, will present “Women’s Mental Health: Promoting Wellness Across the Reproductive Lifecycle” at 7 p.m. at Second Presbyterian Church, 3701 Old Brownsboro Road. The “Building Hope” lecture series is sponsored by the UofL Depression Center.

Women are more likely than men to develop depression, most anxiety disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder, eating disorders and attempt suicide, said Reis, the associate program director of the UofL Department of Psychiatry and Brain Sciences Residency Program.

Some disorders are specifically associated with a woman’s menstrual cycle and pregnancy, including mood disorders that arise during pregnancy or within weeks after giving birth and premenstrual dysphoric disorder, a severe form of premenstrual syndrome with debilitating emotional symptoms of irritability, depression and anxiety.

“Certain disorders are more likely to occur at times in a woman’s life that are most associated with changes in hormone levels,” Reis said. “I will discuss the role that hormones play in mental health and other factors that place women at risk.”

Reis also will discuss treatment and prevention recommendations, including medication, therapy, diet and exercise.

For more information, call the Depression Center at 502-588-4886.