Four in five adults do not know menopause can trigger a new mental illness, a poll has revealed.
A YouGov poll, commissioned by the Royal College of Psychiatrists to highlight the lack of awareness and stigma associated with the menopause, also revealed only 21 per cent of adult women in the UK know a new mental illness can be linked to the menopause.
That’s in comparison to 81 per cent of people associating the menopause with hot flushes, 74 per cent with mood changes and 64 per cent with a reduced sex drive.
Just over one in four women (28 per cent) said they feel comfortable speaking to a male boss about menopause.
This lack of knowledge has meant many women are not seeking or receiving the vital help they need.
Royal College of Psychiatrists president Dr Lade Smith said: “Menopause can have a significant yet often overlooked impact on women’s mental health and wellbeing. Women account for 51 per cent of the population, and all will experience menopause at some point. This is a societal issue for everyone. Simply put, we must do better.”
According to the NHS, common mental health symptoms of menopause and peri-menopause include low mood, anxiety, mood swings, low self-esteem and issues with memory and concentration.
Physical symptoms include hot flushes, difficulty sleeping, heart palpitations, muscle aches and joint pains, and weight gain. But for some women, the menopause significantly increases the chance of developing serious mental illness.
Previous research by University College London (UCL) revealed peri-menopausal women have a 40 per cent higher risk of suffering depression than those experiencing no menopausal symptoms.
“The hormonal fluctuations, particularly changes in oestrogen, can affect mood regulation and make anxiety or low mood more likely,” Dr Elena Touroni, a consultant psychologist and co-founder of The Chelsea Psychology Clinic, told The Independent.
“Sleep disruption from night sweats or other physical symptoms can leave people feeling exhausted and less able to cope with everyday stress. One of the biggest factors, in my experience, is a lack of awareness. Many women don’t realise that changes in mood or anxiety may be linked to menopause, and this can delay getting support or help.”
Dr Deborah Lee, a GP and menopause specialist, added: “Oestrogen modulates levels of serotonin and GABA, both of which are fundamental for mood. Testosterone levels also decline which is linked to lack of energy, brain fog and lowered libido. Low progesterone also causes low mood, insomnia and depression.
“Women, as well as their doctors and employers, need to be made aware of the increased risk of mental illness during the perimenopause. Undoubtedly, a huge glut of unrecognised mental ill health exists in women at this time in their lives.”
When surveyed in 2021, almost half (41 per cent) of UK medical schools did not include mandatory menopause education as part of their curriculum, according to the Royal College of Psychiatrists.
Some schools explained they expected healthcare professionals to receive this education during their first few years of medical practice, but this is not always the case. As a result, women with existing mental health conditions often face significant inequity in menopause support, with clinicians frequently attributing menopause-related conditions to pre-existing mental illness.
TV presenter and author of Menopausing, Davina McCall, said: “Some women sail through the menopause unscathed. But some don’t, and the impact on their mental health can be devastating and have a huge impact on their lives and their relationships.
“Lack of knowledge and ingrained stigma still prevent open conversations between doctors and patients, in the workplace and among friends and family, leaving women without the crucial support they need at an incredibly vulnerable time in their lives.”
A report by the Royal College of Psychiatrists calls for health services and governments in the UK to improve care, mandatory teaching of menopause and mental health in all medical and psychiatric training, and menopause policies in all workplaces.
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “It’s unacceptable women are facing barriers to the care and support they need.
“We’re taking action – bringing a menopause question into NHS health checks, renewing the women’s health strategy, and investing an extra £688 million in mental health services while recruiting 8,500 more mental health workers.
“Women now have access to a wider range of treatments alongside improved training for new doctors to help ensure faster diagnosis and support.”
