“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:
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:
- 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:
- 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:
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.- 5 Steps To Mental Wellbeing
- A To Z
- Abuse, Trauma, and Mental Health
- Alcohol and Mental Health
- Anxiety
- Anxiety: What You Need To Know
- Benefits of Talking Therapies
- Bioidentical Hormones Explained – A British Menopause Society Video
- Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) for Menopausal Symptoms
- Complementary & Alternative Medicine for Mental Health Conditions
- Complementary Medicine Options for Menopausal Symptoms
- Coping With Stress
- Depression In Women: 5 Things You Should Know
- Diet and Mental Health
- Early Menopause: Experiences and Perspectives of Women and Health Practitioners – Women’s Profiles
- Find Help: Finding Help Is the Key To Taking Charge and Moving Forward
- Finding A Mental Health Professional
- Finding the Right Mental Health Professional for You
- Fitness Tips for Menopause: Why Fitness Counts
- Get Help Now [Australia]
- Getting Help [United Kingdom]
- Headstogether.org.uk [Heads Together, United Kingdom]
- Help for Mental Illnesses [United States]
- Home Remedies: Anxiety and Herbal Remedies
- Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) Explained – A British Menopause Society Video
- Hormone Therapy: Is It Right for You?
- How To Look After Your Mental Health
- How To Look After Your Mental Health Using Exercise
- How To Overcome Fear and Anxiety
- How To Sleep Better
- Information About Menopause [Multiply Languages] [Videos]
- Lesbian, Gay, Bi, Trans, Intersex (LGBTI), and Bodily, Gender and Sexuality Diverse People
- Lifestyle and Behaviour Changes for Menopausal Symptoms
- Lifestyle and Behavioural Modifications for Menopausal Symptoms
- Live Your Life Well: The 10 Tools
- Living With Anxiety [+ Videos]
- Looking After Your Mental Health
- Low Mood, Sadness and Depression [+ Video: Low Mood and Depression]
- Managing Menopause: Don’t Let Symptoms of Menopause Reduce Your Quality of Life
- May Is Mental Health Month 2020
- Mayo Mindfulness: Overcoming Negative Self-Talk
- Mayo Mindfulness: What Does It Really Mean? [+ Video]
- Menopause
- Menopause
- Menopause
- Menopause & Hormones: Questions To Ask Your Doctor
- Menopause Explained – A British Menopause Society Video
- 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 What Are the Symptoms?
- Menopause and Depression
- Menopause and Mental Health
- Menopause – What Are the Symptoms? [Multiply Languages] [Video]
- Menopause: Advice To Other Women About the Menopause [Video Interview Stories]
- Menopause: Advice To Partners About the Menopause [Video Interview Stories]
- Menopause: Diagnosis and Management – Information for the Public: Questions To Ask About Menopause [NICE Guideline]
- Menopause: Emotions and the Menopause: Mood Swings, Anxiety and Depression [Video Interview Stories]
- Menopause: Family, Health and Life Events and the Menopause [Video Interview Stories]
- Menopause: Loss of Fertility [Video Interview Stories]
- Menopause: Menopause – Hormone Treatments
- Menopause: See Your Doctor If
- Menopause: Symptoms & Causes
- Menopause: Work and the Menopause [Video Interview Stories]
- Mental & Emotional Health – Fact Sheet
- Mental & Emotional Wellbeing
- Mental Health
- Mental Health
- Mental Health & Emotions: Depression, Anxiety & Menopause
- Mental Health Myths and Facts
- Mental Health: What’s Normal, What’s Not
- Mentalhealthatwork.org.uk [Mental Health At Work, United Kingdom]: Your First Stop for Better Mental Health At Work
- Mhanational.org [Mental Health America]
- Mind.org.uk
- Mindfulness
- Mindfulness May Ease Menopausal Symptoms
- 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 Center for Complementary and Integrative Health: St. John’s Wort and Depression: In Depth
- National Institute of Mental Health [United States]
- One Hour Per Week of Exercise Protects Against Depression Study Shows
- Our Stories
- Recovery & Support
- Resilience: Build Skills To Endure Hardship
- Self-Care and Kindness
- Stories
- Supporting Women Through Menopause
- Symptoms of Menopause: Menopause & Mood
- Taking Control of Your Mental Health: Tips for Talking With Your Health Care Provider
- Talk About Mental Health
- Types of Talking Therapies: Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
- Understanding Menopause – Booklet
- Understanding Premature & Early Menopause – Booklet
- 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
- What Are Mental Health Problems?
- 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: 14 January 2020 | Last Revised: 17 December 2018. Jean Hailes https://jeanhailes.org.au/health-a-z/menopause/mental-health-emotions/ Accessed: 01 October 2020
- What Is Mental Health? Last Updated: 28 May 2020. Mental Health.gov https://www.mentalhealth.gov/basics/what-is-mental-health Accessed: 01 October 2020
- What Is Mental Health? Mental Health Foundation https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/your-mental-health/about-mental-health/what-mental-health Accessed: 01 October 2020
- What Is Good Mental Health? Mental Health Foundation https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/your-mental-health/about-mental-health/what-good-mental-health Accessed: 01 October 2020
- What Is Mental Health? Mental Health Foundation https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/your-mental-health/about-mental-health/what-mental-health Accessed: 01 October 2020
- Mental Health & Emotions: Depression, Anxiety & Menopause. Last Updated: 14 January 2020 | Last Revised: 17 December 2017. Jean Hailes https://jeanhailes.org.au/health-a-z/menopause/mental-health-emotions/ Accessed: 01 October 2020
- Kagan, L. Make Your Menopause A Positive Experience https://www.menopause.org/for-women/menopauseflashes/menopause-symptoms-and-treatments/make-your-menopause-a-positive-experience Accessed: 01 October 2020
- How To Look After Your Mental Health. Mental Health Foundation https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/publications/how-to-mental-health Accessed: 01 October 2020
- What Is Mental Health? Mental Health and Wellness. Last Updated: 28 May 2020. MentalHealth.gov https://www.mentalhealth.gov/basics/what-is-mental-health Accessed: 01 October 2020
- 5 Things You Should Know About Stress: 4. There Are Ways To Manage Stress. National Institute of Mental Health https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/stress/index.shtml#pub4 Accessed: 01 October 2020
- Mental Health & Emotions: Depression, Anxiety & Menopause. Last Updated: 14 January 2020 | Last Revised: 17 December 2017. Jean Hailes https://jeanhailes.org.au/health-a-z/menopause/mental-health-emotions/ Accessed: 01 October 2020
- Kagan, L. Make Your Menopause A Positive Experience: Laugh. https://www.menopause.org/for-women/menopauseflashes/menopause-symptoms-and-treatments/make-your-menopause-a-positive-experience Accessed: 01 October 2020
- 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/manage/images/pdf/ba6379e868044bec13015ac2b84f2753.pdf Accessed: 01 October 2020
- 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: 01 October 2020