A Systematic Review on the Bidirectional Relationship Between Trauma-related Psychopathology and Reproductive Aging

Overview

Journal J Mood Anxiety Disord

Date 2025 Jan 13

PMID 39803367

Authors

Amanda R Arnold

Trinidi Prochaska

Maximilian Fickenwirth

Abigail Powers

Alicia K Smith

E Britton Chahine

Jennifer S Stevens

Vasiliki Michopoulos

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Objective: Natural variation in ovarian steroid hormones across the female lifespan contributes to an increased risk for depressive and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms in women. However, minimal work has focused on understanding the impacts of reproductive aging on the brain and behavioral health of trauma-exposed women. This systematic review examines the bidirectional relationship between trauma-related psychopathology and reproductive aging.

Method: Following PRISMA guidelines, a systematic review of PubMed, PsychInfo, and Medline databases was undertaken to identify controlled studies on how trauma history impacts psychopathology and menopause symptoms during reproductive aging.

Results: Twenty-one studies met the eligibility criteria, with only four utilizing the gold standard STRAW+ 10 criteria for defining reproductive aging stages. The peri and postmenopausal periods appear to be particularly vulnerable phases for individuals with trauma exposure. Menopause symptoms and trauma-related psychopathology symptom severity increase during reproductive aging with increases in the degree of trauma exposure. However, mechanistic insights that may explain this interaction are currently neglected in this area of research.

Conclusion: There is a significant lack of understanding regarding how reproductive aging and its related neuroendocrine changes impact the brain to influence PTSD and depression symptoms related to trauma exposure. This lack of basic understanding impedes the ability to identify, assess, and treat PTSD and depressive symptoms in trauma-exposed women most effectively, and mitigate the long-term consequences of these behavioral health symptoms on morbidity and mortality in aging women.

Citing Articles

Sex Differences in Endocannabinoid and Inflammatory Markers Associated with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder.

Rajasekera T, Joseph A, Pan H, Dreyfuss J, Fida D, Wilson J medRxiv. 2025; .

PMID: 39974010 PMC: 11838936. DOI: 10.1101/2025.01.13.25320467.

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