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

> **NIH NIH R01** · HARVARD PILGRIM HEALTH CARE, INC. · 2022 · $79,504

## Abstract

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.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10621562
- **Project number:** 3R01HD096032-04S1
- **Recipient organization:** HARVARD PILGRIM HEALTH CARE, INC.
- **Principal Investigator:** Jorge Eduardo Chavarro
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $79,504
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 2019-07-10 → 2024-04-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10621562

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10621562, A lifecourse approach to women's mental health: from fertility to perimenopause (3R01HD096032-04S1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-29 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10621562. Licensed CC0.

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