Risk factors for psychosis during the menopause transition
Official title: PREMAP - Predictors and Risk Evaluation for Menopause-Associated Psychosis
Funded at Yale University · NIH-11238936 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks for medical, reproductive, psychiatric, and family-history signs that might predict new psychosis in women going through the menopause transition.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Yale University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New Haven, United States) |
| Project start | January 18, 2023 |
| Project end | October 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $805,076 |
| NIH project number | 5R01MH131768-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11238936 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are women in their 40s–50s who experienced a first episode of psychosis during the menopause transition, and women of similar age who developed depression during the same period for comparison.
✕Less likely to help
People who are male, who are much younger or older than the menopause transition, or who have never experienced mood or psychotic symptoms are unlikely to benefit directly from this project.
What this research studies
We will recruit about 179 women who had a first episode of psychosis during the menopause transition and compare them with about 144 women who developed depression during the same time. Researchers will review medical records and collect reproductive, psychiatric, and family-history information to find patterns that preceded the psychosis. Participants will be identified from established local and national sources and may be asked to share records or complete interviews. The aim is to find signals that could help clinicians recognize and respond to risk earlier in the menopause period.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could help clinicians identify and monitor women at higher risk of psychosis around menopause so symptoms are caught and treated earlier.
How similar studies have gone: Very little research has directly studied psychosis linked to menopause, so this approach is relatively novel and builds on limited prior evidence.
Where this research is happening
-
Yale University
New Haven, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Powers, Albert R — Yale University
- Study coordinator: Powers, Albert R
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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PREMAP: Predictors of Menopause-Related Psychosis
A study to understand what factors predict psychosis that can occur during menopause, with a focus on women going through that transition.
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Identifying risk factors for psychosis during menopause
This study is looking at how hormonal changes during menopause might lead some women to experience psychosis, and it’s inviting women who have had their first episode of psychosis during this time to share their health histories so we can better understand how to help those who might be at risk.
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Psychosis in diverse settings across the world
This project studies how psychotic disorders show up and respond to treatment in adults with diverse backgrounds, including populations in Africa, the Caribbean, and other Global South settings.
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Psychosis in Diverse Settings: Understanding Symptoms and Treatment Across Global South
A human-facing study will look at how psychotic disorders present and respond to treatment in adults from Africa, the Caribbean, and other Global South settings, using genetic and clinical data.
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A new online brain-scan-style tool to spot early psychosis risk
A new online-based set of tasks and a computer model aims to identify people at high risk for developing psychosis earlier and more accurately.
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Understanding how vaginal tissue changes after menopause affect reproductive health
A research team is studying why the vaginal lining changes after menopause and how this affects health, with potential solutions to improve comfort and reduce infection risk for postmenopausal women.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.