“Women often seek counselling at menopause and might want to work through traumas they have previously experienced. This time of life seems to allow things to…”.1
Umbrella
What may the Menopause Mental Health Umbrella include?
Depending on the Source (DotS) this Umbrella may include:
- Emotional Health/Welfare/Well-Being
- Mental Health/Welfare/Well-Being
- Psychological Health/Welfare/Well-Being
- Social Health/Welfare/Well-Being
- Well-Being
Definition
What is mental health?
DotS the definition of mental health may vary. The (United States) MentalHealth.gov’s definition is:
“Mental health includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects how we think, feel, and act. It also helps determine how we handle stress, relate to others, and make choices”.2
Menopause Emotional Health
Is there an association between menopause and emotional health?
In Mental Health & Emotions: Depression, Anxiety & Menopause the (Australian) Jean Hailes for Women’s Health (JH) explain on:

“Emotional health around the menopause is also more likely to be influenced by previous experiences of prior traumatic events; for example, past abuse. Women often seek counselling at menopause and might want to work through traumas they have previously experienced. This time of life seems to allow things to come to the surface”.3
Menopause Depression
Is there an association between menopause and depression?
In Mental Health & Emotions: Depression, Anxiety & Menopause the (Australian) Jean Hailes for Women’s Health (JH) note:
- Prior episodes of depression
- Significant stress in your life
- A negative attitude to things happening in your life
- Dissatisfaction with your relationships
- Low self-esteem
- Poor body image
- Poor lifestyle such as little exercise or a high intake of alcohol”.4
Surgical Menopause and/or Early Menopause
Is there an association between surgical menopause and depression?
In Mental Health & Emotions: Depression, Anxiety & Menopause the JH explain:
Menopause Attitude
Is there an association between our menopause attitude and menopause mental health?
In Make Your Menopause A Positive Experience the author elaborates on:
“The attitude with which you embark upon this transition can have a tremendous impact on your experience of it, as well as on your choice of behaviors. Many of the changes that come with menopause and aging aren’t avoidable, but how you experience menopause and the years that follow has much to do with your attitude. Far from being the end of life, you may find menopause to be a new beginning, one that can be lived richly, fully, and in good overall health. Knowing the spectrum of what’s a normal experience may help ease your concerns and help you to prepare for what’s to come”.6
Keeping Good Mental Health
How can we keep our self in good mental health?
In Our Best Mental Health Tips – Backed By Research the (United Kingdom) Mental Health Foundation elaborate on:
- “Get closer to nature…
- Learn to understand and manage your feelings…
- Talk to someone you trust for support…
- Be aware of using drugs and/or alcohol to cope with difficult feelings…
- Try to make the most of your money and get help with debt problems…
- Get more from your sleep…
- Be kind and help create a better world…
- Keep moving…
- Eat healthy food…
- Be curious and open minded to new experiences
- Plan things to look forward to…”.7
In What Is Mental Health? Mental Health and Wellness the Mentalhealth.gov explain:
- Getting professional help if you need it
- Connecting with others
- Staying positive
- Getting physically active
- Helping others
- Getting enough sleep
- Developing coping skills”.8
Sleep
Is there an association between sleep and menopause mental health?
According to the JH:
“Many women kept awake at night because of night sweats find they are exhausted, can’t think clearly and feel more negative because they have had poor quality sleep”.9
Laughter
Is there an association between laughter and menopause mental health?
In Make Your Menopause A Positive Experience the author explains:
“Laughter brings us closer to people, moves us into more positive mind-sets, can stimulate our immune system, enhance our learning and memory, and help us cope better with the stressors in our lives. Laughter is a great menopause help”.10
Menopausal Hormone Therapy
May menopausal hormone therapy (MHT) be beneficial in improving mood?
One of the points of consensus in the Revised Global Consensus Statement on Menopausal Hormone Therapy: Section A: Benefit/Risk Profile of MHT – endorsed by seven menopause-related organizations – published online 20 June 2016 is:
- “MHT may be beneficial in improving mood in early postmenopausal women with depressive and/or anxiety symptoms. MHT may also be beneficial for perimenopausal women with major depression but antidepressant therapy remains first-line treatment in this setting”.11
Health Care Provider
What if I am in no mood for laughter?
If you are in no mood for laughter, it may be in your best interest to choose to talk to your health care provider about this.
On page one in Menopause and Depression: Recognizing Depressive Symptoms and Depression the NAMS explain:
In Mental Health & Emotions: Managing Psychological Symptoms – Other Therapies the JH elaborate on:
Health Topics A-Z
Where may I find Health Topics related to Menopause Mental Health?
In Health Topics A-Z you may find:
Links
Where may I find Links related to Menopause Mental Health?
Your Country may have Links similar to:
Links
This Links List to third party websites is neither comprehensive nor exhaustive. Inclusion on this Links List does not imply endorsement or recommendation. Non-inclusion on this Links List does not imply non-endorsement or non-recommendation. Third party websites are not under the control of Meno Martha International Menopause Directory. Third party websites may contain explicit medical images and/or sexual references. Please read Meno Martha International Menopause Directory’s Links Policy before proceeding to a Link. Please contact Webmaster if you experience a problem with a Link.- 31 Tips To Boost Your Mental Health
- 5 Steps To Mental Wellbeing
- 5 Ways To Cope With Menopausal Mood Swings
- About Mental Health Problems
- Alcohol and Mental Health
- Anxiety
- Askearlymenopause.org [Ask EM] [+ Video: What Is Early Menopause?]
- Caring for Your Mental Health
- Chill Out With the NIH [+ Video]
- Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) for Menopausal Symptoms
- Complementary & Alternative Medicine for Mental Health Conditions
- Consumer Health: What Is Mental Health?
- Coping With Stress
- Deciding About Hormone Therapy Use
- Depression In Women: 5 Things You Should Know
- Diet and Mental Health
- Dr. Louise Newson Breaks Down The Menopause & Lisa Snowdon Shares Her Experience | This Morning
- EMAS Menopause Essentials
- Early Menopause: Experiences and Perspectives of Women and Health Practitioners – Women’s Profiles
- Facebook Live Event: The Menopause Transition and Depression
- Find A Menopause Practitioner [United States and Other]
- Find An AMS Doctor [Australasian Menopause Society i.e. Australia and New Zealand]
- Find Help: Finding Help Is the Key To Taking Charge and Moving Forward
- Find Your Nearest BMS Menopause Specialist [British Menopause Society]
- Finding A Mental Health Professional
- Finding the Right Mental Health Professional for You
- Fitness Tips for Menopause: Why Fitness Counts
- Getting Help [United Kingdom]
- Get Help With Your Mental Wellbeing [Scotland]
- Getting Help for Mental Health
- Headstogether.org.uk [Heads Together, United Kingdom]
- How To Improve Mental Health
- How To Look After Your Mental Health
- How To Look After Your Mental Health Using Exercise
- Joint Position Statement By the British Menopause Society, Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and Society for Endocrinology on Best Practice Recommendations for the Care of Women Experiencing the Menopause
- Later Years (Around 50 Years and Over): Menopause and Post Menopause Health – Early and Premature Menopause [+ Video: Menopause Only Happens In Your 50s]
- Later Years (Around 50 Years and Over): Menopause and Post Menopause Health – Menopause and Your Mental Wellbeing [+ Video: Menopause Only Affects You Physically!]
- Later Years (Around 50 Years and Over): Menopause and Post Menopause Health – Signs and Symptoms [+ Video: Talking Menopause With Your GP]
- Later Years (Around 50 Years and Over): Menopause and Post Menopause Health – Supporting Someone Through the Menopause [+ Video: Men Don’t Need To Know About Menopause]
- Lesbian, Gay, Bi, Trans, Intersex (LGBTI), and Bodily, Gender and Sexuality Diverse People
- Living With Anxiety [+ Videos]
- Looking After Your Mental Health
- Mayo Clinic Minute: Mental Health Needs Rise As Pandemic Fluctuates [+ Video]
- Mayo Mindfulness: Overcoming Negative Self-Talk
- Menopausal Symptoms: Mood Disorders and the Menopausal Transition
- Menopause
- Menopause
- Menopause
- Menopause
- Menopause
- Menopause Map: Downloadable Resources – My Personal Path Print Tools: Questions for Your Health Care Provider
- Menopause Map: Downloadable Resources – My Personal Path Print Tools: Relaxation Techniques
- Menopause Map: Downloadable Resources – My Personal Path Print Tools: Symptom Tracker
- Menopause & Sleep With Dr Sonia Davison
- Menopause FAQs: Menopause Symptoms – Q. My family tells me that I’ve become moody, and I admit that I sometimes feel blue or short-tempered. Menopause?
- Menopause Mindfulness: A Personal Toolkit for Menopause Preparedness
- Menopause Preparedness Toolkit: A Woman’s Empowerment Guide
- Menopause and Depression
- Menopause and Mental Health
- Menopause: Menopause – Hormone Treatments
- Mental & Emotional Wellbeing
- Mental Health
- Mental Health & Emotions: Depression, Anxiety & Menopause
- Mental Health: What’s Normal, What’s Not
Mentalhealthatwork.org.uk [Mental Health At Work, United Kingdom]
- Mhanational.org [Mental Health America]
- Mindfulness
- Mood and the Menopause
- My Mental Health: Do I Need Help?
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health: Anxiety At A Glance
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health: Depression
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health: Menopausal Symptoms In Depth
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health: Mental Health
- National Institute of Mental Health [United States]
- Optimising the Menopause Transition: Joint Position Statement By the British Menopause Society, Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and Society for Endocrinology on Best Practice Recommendations for the Care of Women Experiencing the Menopause
- Our Best Mental Health Tips – Backed By Research
- Perimenopause
- Perimenopause
- Self-Care Tips To Manage Mental Health and Wellness [+ Video]
- Sleep and Your Health
- Supporting Women Through Menopause – Fact Sheet
- Symptoms of Menopause: Menopause & Mood
- Taking Care of Your Mental Health
- Taking Control of Your Mental Health: Tips for Talking With Your Health Care Provider
- The Many Faces of Anxiety
- Transformations The Mental Health Issues That Can Accompany Menopause Often Go Unaddressed
- Types of Talking Therapies: Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
- Using Natural Therapies In the Menopause Transition – Webinar
- Video Series-2019: Mood Changes during Perimenopause
- Video Series-2019: What You Need to Know About Mood During the Menopause Transition
- Video Series-2020: What You Need to Know About Cognition and Mood Changes
- Video Series-2021: How Menopause Symptoms Can Affect Your Quality of Life
- Video Series-2022: Hormone Therapy: Understanding the Risks and Benefits
- Video Series-2022: Perimenopause, Signs, Symptoms, and Solutions
- Videos and Podcasts: Interviews and Podcasts – Interviews: How Do I Deal With the Menopause After A Diagnosis of Gynaecological Cancer
- Videos and Podcasts: Interviews and Podcasts – Interviews: Menopause and Diabetes
- Videos and Podcasts: Interviews and Podcasts – Interviews: The Menopause Blues
- Webinar: Perimenopause
- Webinars: Previous – Dealing With A Big Issue: Weight Gain At Midlife
- Women and Mental Health
- Women’s Wellness: Mindfulness May Ease Menopausal Symptoms
Sources
Where may I find the Sources quoted?
You may find the Sources quoted at:
Sources
- Mental Health & Emotions: Depression, Anxiety & Menopause. Last Updated: 28 June 2021 | Last Revised: 17 December 2018. Jean Hailes https://jeanhailes.org.au/health-a-z/menopause/mental-health-emotions/ Accessed: 22 July 2022
- What Is Mental Health? Last Updated: 28 February 2022. Mental Health.gov https://www.mentalhealth.gov/basics/what-is-mental-health Accessed: 22 July 2022
- Mental Health & Emotions: Depression, Anxiety & Menopause. Last Updated: 28 June 2021 | Last Revised: 17 December 2017. Jean Hailes https://jeanhailes.org.au/health-a-z/menopause/mental-health-emotions/ Accessed: 22 July 2022
- Mental Health & Emotions: Depression, Anxiety & Menopause. Last Updated: 28 June 2021 | Last Revised: 17 December 2017. Jean Hailes https://jeanhailes.org.au/health-a-z/menopause/mental-health-emotions/ Accessed: 22 July 2022
- Mental Health & Emotions: Depression, Anxiety & Menopause. Last Updated: 28 June 2021 | Last Revised: 17 December 2017. Jean Hailes https://jeanhailes.org.au/health-a-z/menopause/mental-health-emotions/ Accessed: 22 July 2022
- Make Your Menopause A Positive Experience. North American Menopause Society https://www.menopause.org/for-women/menopauseflashes/menopause-symptoms-and-treatments/make-your-menopause-a-positive-experience Accessed: 22 July 2022
- How To Look After Your Mental Health. Mental Health Foundation https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/publications/how-to-mental-health Accessed: 22 July 2022
- What Is Mental Health? Mental Health and Wellness. Last Updated: 28 February 2022. MentalHealth.gov https://www.mentalhealth.gov/basics/what-is-mental-health Accessed: 22 July 2022
- Mental Health & Emotions: Depression, Anxiety & Menopause. Last Updated: 28 June 2021 | Last Revised: 17 December 2017. Jean Hailes https://jeanhailes.org.au/health-a-z/menopause/mental-health-emotions/ Accessed: 22 July 2022
- Make Your Menopause A Positive Experience: Laugh. North American Menopause Society https://www.menopause.org/for-women/menopauseflashes/menopause-symptoms-and-treatments/make-your-menopause-a-positive-experience Accessed: 22 July 2022
- De Villiers, T. J., Hall, J. E., Pinkerton, J. V., Pérez, S. C., Rees, M., Yang, C. and Pierroz, D. D. Revised Global Consensus Statement on Menopausal Hormone Therapy: Section A: Benefit/Risk Profile of MHT. Climacteric, 2016;19:4:314 https://www.imsociety.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/global-consensus-hrt-2016-06.pdf Accessed: 22 July 2022
- Depression and Menopause: Recognizing Depressive Symptoms and Depression. 2018:1. North American Menopause Society https://www.menopause.org/docs/default-source/default-document-library/menonote-menopause-and-depression.pdf Accessed: 22 July 2022
- Mental Health & Emotions: Managing Psychological Symptoms – Other Therapies. Last Updated: 28 June 2021 | Last Revised: 17 December 2017. Jean Hailes https://jeanhailes.org.au/health-a-z/menopause/mental-health-emotions/ Accessed: 22 July 2022