Menopause Mental Health

“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

Good Mental Health

What is good mental health?

In What Is Mental Health? the (British) Mental Health Foundation’s (MHF) elaborate on:

“Being mentally healthy doesn’t just mean that you don’t have a mental health problem.

If you’re in good mental health, you can:

Make the most of your potential
Cope with life
Play a full part in your family, workplace, community and among friends”.³

In What Is Good Mental Health? the MHF also explain:

“Good mental health is characterised by a person’s ability to fulfil a number of key functions and activities, including:

The ability to learn
The ability to feel, express and manage a range of positive and negative emotions
The ability to form and maintain good relationships with others
The ability to cope with and manage change and uncertainty”.⁴

Menopause

During menopause can our mental health change?

The MHF note:

“Your mental health doesn’t always stay the same. It can change as circumstances change and as you move through different stages of your life”.⁵

In Mental Health & Emotions: Depression, Anxiety & Menopause the (Australian) Jean Hailes for Women’s Health (JH) elaborate 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”.⁶

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. Studies bear this out: negative beliefs held prior to menopause can be predictive of a more difficult time. For instance, the more catastrophic your thoughts about hot flashes, the more intense they will be”.⁷

Keeping Good Mental Health

How can we keep ourself in good mental health?

In How To Look After Your Mental Health the MHF elaborate on “10 practical ways to look after your mental health”:

“Talk about your feelings…
Keep active…
Eat well…
Drink sensibly…
Keep in touch…
Ask for help…
Take a break…
Do something you’re good at…
Accept who you are…
Care for others…”.⁸

In What Is Mental Health? Mental Health and Wellness the Mentalhealth.gov explain:

“Ways to maintain positive mental health include:

Getting professional help if you need it
Connecting with others
Staying positive
Getting physically active
Helping others
Getting enough sleep
Developing coping skills”.⁹

Physical Activity

Is there an association between physical activity and mental health?

In 5 Things You Should Know About Stress: 4. There Are Ways To Manage Stress the (United States) National Institute of Mental Health elaborate on:

“Get Regular Exercise. Just 30 minutes per day of walking can help boost your mood and improve your health”.¹⁰

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”.¹¹

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”.¹²

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”.¹³

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:

“When you are transitioning into menopause, you should notify your healthcare practitioner whether you have suffered from depression in the past or whether you were particularly sensitive to hormone changes and have experienced premenstrual syndrome or postpartum depression. Be alert and notice whether these mood changes are mild and do not greatly affect your quality of life or whether they are severe and debilitating and interfere with your daily activities”.¹⁴

Health Topics A-Z

Where may I find Health Topics related to Menopause Mental Health?

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Health Topics A-Z

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