Women need support
“We cannot ignore what is happening or let these women suffer."
Suicide rates among women aged 45 to 54 - the most common age to be experiencing menopause and perimenopause - have risen six per cent in the last 20 years, defying a trend for falling rates among older women.
Those aged 45 to 54 have the highest suicide rate among women, with 7.1 deaths per 100,000 females aged 45 to 49, and a rate of 6.9 for 50 to 54-year-olds: the rate for 65 to 69-yearolds was only 3.7 per 100,000 in the latest figures.
Suicide rates for older women fell by 50% from
1981 to 1994, and rates have continued to drop since for those aged over 55.
But the rates for women aged 45 to 54 have bucked the trend, and since the late 1990s, suicide rates for 45 to 54-year-olds have been rising.
Between 1998 and 2020, rates for over-55s fell 28%, but those for 45 to 54-yearolds rose 6%.
Menopause affects every woman differently, but for many it can bring unpleasant physical, emotional and psychological symptoms that can be challenging to deal with.
Mental health issues like depression, anxiety and stress are hard to deal with, and many women will not know that they can commonly be caused by menopause. We cannot ignore what is happening or let these women suffer.
Women who are not aware they are going through menopause can be caught off guard by feelings of worthlessness, confusion and a complete lack of confidence.
As well as those in the medical profession, psychologists, psychotherapists and counsellors need to be trained in the basic knowledge of menopause so they can identify the root causes in patients they treat.
Women going through menopause need support from friends, family and colleagues, and we would recommend that everyone takes our free training so they are ready for whatever perimenopause and menopause throw at them.
Many women in their 60s are happier post-menopause and this may partly explain why suicide rates drop off later in life.
If you are struggling to cope, please call Samaritans or other sources of support, which can be found on the NHS’s help for suicidal thoughts webpage.
Dee Murray, founder and CEO at
Menopause Experts Group.