A lifecourse approach to women's mental health: from fertility to perimenopause

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

Project Summary/Abstract Infertility and its treatments are often long-lasting and can be psychologically challenging. Consequently, many women report feelings of distress, loss of control, social isolation, and a sense of stigma as they try unsuccessfully to achieve pregnancy. However, little is known about the effects of impaired fertility on long- term mental health outcomes. Limited longitudinal data exist on the associations of impaired fertility with trajectories of anxiety and depressive symptoms across pregnancy, postpartum, and mid-life. Additionally, hardships such as abuse, lack of social support, financial hardship, and the experiences of racism are known to be strongly associated with symptoms of depression and anxiety, yet how these factors interact with the experience of impaired fertility in women across their life course is not known. This Diversity Supplement will provide the candidate, Dr. Pérez Capotosto, with the additional experience, expertise, skills, and data necessary to facilitate her goal to become an independent nurse scientist in the field of impaired fertility. Dr. Pérez Capotosto will draw upon her background and experience to examine the effects of impaired fertility on long-term mental health outcomes. Specifically, she will investigate the associations of depression and anxiety among women with a history of impaired fertility compared to women without a history of impaired fertility, and the relevance of depression and/or anxiety in women with impaired fertility throughout the lifespan. In doing so, she will examine the effects of early life hardship, such as the history of abuse, lack of social support, financial hardship, and experiences of racism, on the associations of depression and anxiety among women with impaired fertility. Data for this proposal have been collected in the Project Viva cohort through, “A lifecourse approach to women's cardiometabolic and bone health: from fertility to perimenopause” (5R01HD096032-03), the parent grant. As the PIs of the parent grant, Dr. Emily Oken and Dr. Jorge Chavarro will mentor Dr. Pérez Capotosto. The candidate will also receive mentorship from Dr. Ann Wolbert Burgess, a Professor of Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing in the W.F. Connell School of Nursing at Boston College. With the training, skills, and experience she will receive through the proposed diversity supplement, Dr. Pérez Capotosto intends to move from a clinical academic position to a research academic position.