Health

UK: Poll Shows Most Women Unaware of Menopause Mental Health Link

Does menopause cause devastating mental health issues or is a normal transition being wrongly pathologized?

Published MAR 2

UK: Poll Shows Most Women Unaware of Menopause Mental Health Link

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The Facts

A YouGov poll commissioned by the Royal College of Psychiatrists has found that only 28% of women in the U.K. know a new mental illness can be linked to menopause. In contrast, 93% of women associate menopause with hot flushes and 76% with reduced sex drive.
Royal College of Psychiatrists
Femtech World
guardian
Perimenopausal women are more than twice as likely to develop bipolar disorder and 30% more likely to develop clinical depression, according to the Royal College of Psychiatrists. Hormonal and physical changes associated with menopause may also trigger eating disorders.
Femtech World
guardian
A study from University College London published in the Post Reproductive Health journal on Sunday found that 58% of Black women in the U.K. said they felt completely uninformed about menopause. More than half reported anxiety, yet many said they were misdiagnosed with anxiety or depression.
Femtech World
guardian
The Royal College of Psychiatrists' report calls for mandatory teaching of menopause and mental health in all medical and psychiatric training. When surveyed in 2021, almost half of U.K. medical schools did not include mandatory menopause education in their curricula.
Independent
guardian
A YouGov poll also found that around one in five adults would feel uncomfortable talking to a male healthcare worker about menopause, compared to 9% who would feel uncomfortable talking to a female professional. 28% of women said they would feel comfortable talking to a male boss about the condition.
LBC
Daily Mail
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said the government is bringing a menopause question into NHS health checks, investing an extra £688 million ($921 million) in mental health services and recruiting 8,500 more mental health workers to improve support for women.
Femtech World
Independent

Sources Split

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The Spin

Narrative A

The devastating mental health impact of menopause remains hidden due to ingrained stigma and lack of knowledge, leaving women without crucial support during an incredibly vulnerable time. Many women experience severe symptoms like brain fog, anxiety and depression that can destroy their lives and relationships, yet they're still fighting to be heard by doctors, employers and society. This unacceptable gap in understanding must be closed immediately to ensure proper care and support for all women going through this transition.

The Sun

Royal College of Psychiatrists on X

Narrative B

Menopause does not universally cause mental health problems, and assuming it does actually harms women by delaying accurate diagnosis and treatment. Research shows clinical depression during menopause overwhelmingly occurs in those previously diagnosed with the condition, while other factors, like stressful life events, are the real culprits. Pathologizing normal life transitions creates negative expectations and misattributes psychological distress to hormones rather than addressing the actual causes.

Dr. Roger McFillin on X