Cause

• Menopause, the cessation of menstrual periods, occurs in all women. According to Menopause Matters, it usually happens as a natural part of aging, at an average age of 51, but it can also occur earlier if the ovaries fail or are removed.
  
  

Symptoms

• According to WomensHealth.gov, women have an increased risk of depression during the years preceding menopause, and women with no history of bipolar disorder can experience mood swings.
  
  

Mental Illness

• In a March 2006 article published in "The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease," Martha Sajatovic, M.D., and colleagues, examined the effects of menopause on women with serious mental illnesses. Over half reported a negative emotional impact, and 88 percent experienced depression.
  
  

Bipolar Disorder

• In the May 2009 issue of "Journal of Psychiatric Research," author W.K. Marsh studied menopausal women with bipolar disorder, and found an increase in depression, but not mania.
  
  

Treatment

• According to C.N. Soares and V. Taylor, writing in a 2007 supplement to "Journal of Clinical Psychiatry," treatment may include hormones, herbal supplements, antidepressants, lithium or anti-convulsants. Considerations include a woman's stage of menopause and her quality of life.