Three in four women unaware menopause can trigger new mental illness, poll finds

"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."

"Anxiety and low mood are relatively common side-effects of hormonal changes during menopause, but for some women menopause significantly increases the chance of developing serious mental illness. Perimenopausal women are more than twice as likely to develop bipolar disorder and 30% more likely to develop clinical depression."

"For women with or at risk of bipolar disorder, perimenopause may represent a period of particular clinical danger that has historically gone unrecognised. Bipolar women who experienced postnatal depression or had premenstrual mood symptoms were also at higher risk of relapse of depression during menopause."

The Royal College of Psychiatrists has issued its first targeted position statement on menopause and mental health, revealing significant gaps in public awareness. A YouGov poll found that only 28% of women understand menopause can cause new mental illness, despite 93% knowing about hot flushes. Perimenopausal women face substantially elevated risks: they are twice as likely to develop bipolar disorder and 30% more likely to develop clinical depression. Menopause may also trigger eating disorder development or relapse and is associated with higher suicide rates among women of menopausal age. The lack of awareness means many women fail to seek necessary mental health support during this vulnerable period, representing a significant societal health issue.

Read at www.theguardian.com