Mental Health Month and Menopause

It’s okay to talk about menopause!

May is Mental Health Month and this month is about uplifting the importance of prioritizing our mental health care and reducing stigma. It's also about advocating for better systems of care. We still have lots of work to do to improve our system in the United States.?

One particular area of interest to me is highlighting & improving the conversation and research about aging and mental health and in particular menopause and mental health. As I entered my late 40's, I noticed an increase in anxiety and depression and it was years before I was handed a packet of handouts about menopause. Tucked away in those pages was important information about both perimenopause and menopause that it would have been helpful to know years before.

Menopause can increase symptoms of anxiety and depression and it's important to seek treatment if you begin experiencing a change in your mental health as you age. Women's health is often taboo to discuss from menstruation to menopause and not enough resources are allocated to educating the public and health care providers about it. Increasing the awareness of this discussion is important for the following reasons:

1.????Emotional Well-being: Perimenopause and menopause can bring about intense emotions and mood swings, including feelings of anxiety, irritability, sadness, and depression.

2.????Hormonal Influence on Mental Health: Hormonal imbalances, such as a decrease in estrogen levels, can impact brain chemistry and contribute to mental health concerns.

3.????Symptom Management: Perimenopause and menopause often come with physical symptoms like hot flashes, insomnia, and fatigue, which can affect mental health. Understanding these connections can lead to better treatment.

4.????Supportive Environment: Reducing stigma so individuals can discuss menopause without shame or embarrassment can help reduce feelings of isolation and allows people to connect with others who may be experiencing similar changes in their mood, lives, and bodies.

5. Empowerment and Education: We need more public health messages about the connection between mental health and aging for all bodies. We should advocate for more funding and research on this connection between menopause/perimenopause and mental health. Perimenopause especially needs more research and can start as early as late 30's/early 40's.

Happy Mental Health Month! A few recent articles:

https://www.upmc.com/services/south-central-pa/women/services/behavioral-health/conditions/perimenopause#:~:text=Hormonal%20changes%20during%20perimenopause%20can,and%20don't%20go%20away

https://www.health.harvard.edu/womens-health/menopause-and-mental-health