Hundreds join us for World Menopause Day
“Tell us more about menopause”
This was the overwhelming feedback from the College's first online Menopause and Mental Health event, held on World Menopause Day (18 October), with 97% of attendees who completed the feedback form saying that they want to learn more about the menopause.
The event was timely given our focus on Women’s Mental Health, including hormonal health through the lifecourse, which will be one of three key areas addressed in the College’s first women’s mental health strategy due to be published next year.
Presidential Leads for Women and Mental Health, Dr Cath Durkin and Dr Philippa Greenfield, event lead Dr Sophie Behrman along with other members of the College expert working group on menopause, were joined by a range of experts including speakers with lived experience, to consider topics such as the impact of ‘hormones through the lifespan’, ‘first onset mental disorders in the menopause’ and ‘the effect of menopause on carers’, shedding light on why these areas are so important to understand.
Dr Sophie Behrman, who led on the event, said:
“This highlighted the thirst for knowledge and better understanding of the menopause amongst our members.
“We were delighted to have almost 750 people register and 500 join us on the day from across the UK and the world. Even more, to know this is going to make a difference to our workforce and patients, with 91% of attendees saying that their clinical practice will change as a result of the event.”
In an RCPsych member survey on women’s mental health carried out by the College earlier in the year, only 11% of respondents said they were confident to support women with hormonal health including the menopause and 41% not confident at all. Only 18% reported their organisation had a menopause policy and 9% reported flexibility for menopause.
Dr Cath Durkin also commented:
“The College recognises a growing national awareness of the unmet physical and mental health needs of women going through the menopause. This has been picked up within national policy, but more needs to be done to raise awareness of menopause among patients and staff and to offer support to those affected. This event is a step in the right direction.”
To coincide with World Menopause Day, the College launched its second eLearning module on Menopause and Mental Health at the event: Mental health during the perimenopause and menopause: Part 2 – management in mental health services.
It is currently developing a menopause position statement with members of the Menopause Expert Working Group and input from patients and carers, which will also be published next year.