Nearly three-quarters of women in the UK are unaware that menopause can trigger new mental health conditions, according to a new poll commissioned by the Royal College of Psychiatrists (RCPsych). The findings prompted the RCPsych to issue its first targeted “position statement” aimed at raising awareness of the link between menopause and mental illness.
The YouGov poll revealed that only 28% of women recognize a new mental illness can be associated with menopause. This contrasts sharply with the 93% who associate menopause with hot flushes and 76% with reduced sex drive. The report highlights a significant gap in understanding that is leaving many women without the support they need.
“Menopause can have a significant yet often overlooked impact on women’s mental health and wellbeing,” said Dr. Lade Smith, president of the RCPsych. “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 RCPsych report details the mental health impacts experienced during perimenopause. While anxiety and low mood are common side effects of hormonal changes, the report indicates that menopause can significantly increase the risk of developing serious mental illness. Women experiencing perimenopause are more than twice as likely to develop bipolar disorder and 30% more likely to develop clinical depression. Hormonal and physical changes can also lead to the relapse or development of eating disorders, and suicide rates are higher among women of menopausal age.
Dr. Cath Durkin, a joint presidential lead for women and mental health at the RCPsych, emphasized the particular risks for women with or at risk of bipolar disorder. “For women with or at risk of bipolar disorder, perimenopause may represent a period of particular clinical danger that has historically gone unrecognised,” she stated. The report also highlighted that women with a history of postnatal depression or premenstrual mood symptoms are at higher risk of depressive relapse during menopause.
The RCPsych is calling for urgent action from health services and governments across the UK to improve care. Recommendations include mandatory menopause and mental health education in all medical and psychiatric training, and the implementation of menopause policies in all workplaces that address the relationship between menopause and mental health.
Separate research from University College London, published in the Post Reproductive Health journal, found that 58% of Black women in the UK perceive completely uninformed about menopause, with many describing the experience as “psychologically damaging.” More than half (53%) reported experiencing anxiety, yet many were misdiagnosed with anxiety or depression rather than menopause when seeking help from their GPs. Only 23% of this group accessed hormone replacement therapy (HRT) to manage their symptoms.
TV presenter and author Davina McCall, who has publicly discussed her own experiences with menopause, voiced her support for the RCPsych’s position statement. “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. And it’s just not acceptable. Why are women still fighting to be heard?” McCall said.
Janet Lindsay, chief executive of Wellbeing of Women, echoed this sentiment, stating, “For too long, women’s symptoms have been dismissed or misunderstood. We fully support the call for better awareness, joined‑up care, better workplace support and policies, and more research that will help ensure women are listened to and supported through menopause.”
A spokesperson for the Department of Health and Social Care stated that the government is “taking action,” including adding a menopause question to NHS health checks and renewing the women’s health strategy. They also highlighted an investment of £688 million in mental health services and the recruitment of 8,500 additional mental health workers.
Sonja Rincón, 43, described a seven-year misdiagnosis of depression before receiving a perimenopause diagnosis last year. “I was 35 when I first went to my doctor with symptoms I couldn’t explain…The doctor’s answer was antidepressants, then a higher dosage, then different antidepressants,” she said. “At the time, I had no idea that perimenopause even existed.” Rincón now advocates for improved GP training, stating, “People like me shouldn’t continue to be medically dismissed because they’re ‘too young’ for perimenopause.” She founded the Menotracker app to help other women track their symptoms and feel less alone.
