Nearly three-quarters of UK women do not know that menopause can trigger a new mental illness, according to a YouGov poll commissioned by the Royal College of Psychiatrists (RCPsych). The survey found that only 28% of women are aware that a new mental illness can be associated with menopause, compared to 93% who associate it with hot flushes and 76% with reduced sex drive.
The RCPsych has launched its first targeted position statement on menopause and mental health, warning that many women are not seeking or receiving vital help due to this lack of understanding. Dr Lade Smith, president of the college, said: 'Menopause can have a significant yet often overlooked impact on women’s mental health and wellbeing. Women account for 51% of the population and all will experience menopause at some point. This is a societal issue for everyone. Simply put, we must do better.'
The report highlights that perimenopausal women are more than twice as likely to develop bipolar disorder and 30% more likely to develop clinical depression. Hormonal and physical changes may also trigger eating disorders or relapse, and suicide rates are higher among women of menopausal age. Dr Cath Durkin, joint presidential lead for women and mental health at the RCPsych, noted: 'For women with or at risk of bipolar disorder, perimenopause may represent a period of particular clinical danger that has historically gone unrecognised.'
The college is calling for urgent action from health services and governments across the UK, including mandatory teaching of menopause and mental health in medical training and menopause policies in all workplaces. A separate study from University College London found that 58% of black women in the UK felt completely uninformed about menopause, with many reporting anxiety and misdiagnosis by GPs.
TV presenter Davina McCall, author of 'Menopausing', supported the position statement, saying: 'Lack of knowledge and ingrained stigma still prevent open conversations... leaving women without the crucial support they need at an incredibly vulnerable time in their lives. And it’s just not acceptable.' Janet Lindsay, chief executive of Wellbeing of Women, added: 'For too long, women’s symptoms have been dismissed or misunderstood.'
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 £688m in mental health services while recruiting 8,500 more mental health workers.'
