Abstracts
3427193
(#69) Beyond Mood And Menopause: An Identity-Informed Approach To Midlife Distress In Clinical Practice
Abstract: Midlife women frequently present to psychiatric care with anxiety, depression, insomnia, and emotional exhaustion. Although symptom-focused assessment and pharmacologic management are standard, these approaches may not consistently capture identity strain, cumulative role burden, and unrecognized grief that commonly influence distress during midlife transitions.
The purpose of this presentation is to describe a practical psychiatric practice innovation that supports PMHNPs in integrating identity-informed assessment into routine medication management visits without increasing visit time or expanding scope of practice.
Evidence demonstrates that midlife psychiatric distress is shaped by neurobiological transition, cumulative trauma exposure, and psychosocial role strain. Trauma-informed and meaning-centered approaches have been shown to improve engagement and outcomes when psychosocial contributors are addressed alongside pharmacologic care. However, these factors are not routinely operationalized within standard psychiatric workflows, contributing to a persistent gap between evidence and practice.
This presentation introduces a structured, identity-informed midlife assessment framework that functions as an overlay to existing PMHNP assessment and documentation practices. The approach incorporates brief identity-focused prompts, normalization of midlife transition, and values-aligned treatment framing within routine visits. Implementation involves use of one to two prompts per encounter and integration into standard clinical documentation.
Evaluation included longitudinal symptom monitoring (PHQ-9, GAD-7), visit adherence, medication adherence, and qualitative patient feedback. Use of the framework was associated with improved therapeutic alliance, increased engagement, reduced shame-based narratives, and symptom stabilization without increased pharmacologic escalation.
This practice innovation aligns with PMH nursing's holistic framework and offers a scalable, teachable approach for outpatient psychiatric settings, PMHNP education, and quality-improvement initiatives.
Short Description: Midlife women often present with depression and anxiety, but what if the root cause is something else? This poster introduces an identity-informed assessment approach that helps PMHNPs uncover hidden drivers of distress such as role transitions, unrecognized loss, and shifts in meaning. By integrating brief, targeted prompts into routine visits, clinicians can improve engagement, strengthen therapeutic alliance, and support symptom stabilization-without increasing reliance on medication.
Name of Sponsoring Organization(s): N/A
The purpose of this presentation is to describe a practical psychiatric practice innovation that supports PMHNPs in integrating identity-informed assessment into routine medication management visits without increasing visit time or expanding scope of practice.
Evidence demonstrates that midlife psychiatric distress is shaped by neurobiological transition, cumulative trauma exposure, and psychosocial role strain. Trauma-informed and meaning-centered approaches have been shown to improve engagement and outcomes when psychosocial contributors are addressed alongside pharmacologic care. However, these factors are not routinely operationalized within standard psychiatric workflows, contributing to a persistent gap between evidence and practice.
This presentation introduces a structured, identity-informed midlife assessment framework that functions as an overlay to existing PMHNP assessment and documentation practices. The approach incorporates brief identity-focused prompts, normalization of midlife transition, and values-aligned treatment framing within routine visits. Implementation involves use of one to two prompts per encounter and integration into standard clinical documentation.
Evaluation included longitudinal symptom monitoring (PHQ-9, GAD-7), visit adherence, medication adherence, and qualitative patient feedback. Use of the framework was associated with improved therapeutic alliance, increased engagement, reduced shame-based narratives, and symptom stabilization without increased pharmacologic escalation.
This practice innovation aligns with PMH nursing's holistic framework and offers a scalable, teachable approach for outpatient psychiatric settings, PMHNP education, and quality-improvement initiatives.
Short Description: Midlife women often present with depression and anxiety, but what if the root cause is something else? This poster introduces an identity-informed assessment approach that helps PMHNPs uncover hidden drivers of distress such as role transitions, unrecognized loss, and shifts in meaning. By integrating brief, targeted prompts into routine visits, clinicians can improve engagement, strengthen therapeutic alliance, and support symptom stabilization-without increasing reliance on medication.
Name of Sponsoring Organization(s): N/A
