A hidden mental health crisis many women face during menopause

Menopause is an almost universal experience for women, but across Europe, the mental health risks are poorly understood, unevenly treated, and rarely addressed in policy.

In the UK, a recent survey conducted by YouGov and the Royal College of Psychiatrists found that only 28 percent of women know that menopause can lead to new mental illnesses.

According to the RCPsych report, this knowledge gap means countless women are missing out on important care.

Part of the confusion stems from the fact that many symptoms begin years before menopause itself. It is called the transition phase perimenopause It can start in a woman’s 40s — and sometimes earlier — when hormone levels change unexpectedly.

During this period, changes in estrogen and progesterone cause not only physical symptoms such as hot flashes and sleep disturbances, but also significant changes in mood and mental health.

Menopause itself marks the end of a woman’s reproductive years and is defined as 12 consecutive months without a menstrual period. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), it usually occurs between the ages of 45 and 55.

A separate study by University College LondonPublished in the journal Postpartum Health, it found that 88 percent of black women had not received menopause education in school, while half (58 percent) felt completely uninformed before the age of 40.

A wide but little known bar

Research shows that the scale of the issue is significant. A great European study found that 55 percent of women report psychological symptoms such as mood swings, anxiety or depression During menopause.

In Sweden, in 2021 National Health Report 60% of women experience moderate or severe menopausal symptoms. In Germany, almost one in three women show symptoms of depression during menopause.

others Research It indicates that perimenopause can increase the risk of first major depression by about 30 percent and significantly increases the likelihood of manic episodes in women with bipolar disorder.

Perhaps most worryingly, 1 in six (16.6%) women experience it Suicidal thoughts According to a 2026 clinical research study by Liverpool John Morris University and Newson Clinic, during perimenopause and menopause that are not recognized or effectively treated.

Pooja Saini, professor of suicide and suicide prevention at Liverpool John Moores University, said: “Many women are assessed with tools that do not fully capture the hormonal drivers of suicidal thoughts, leaving gaps in care that are both preventable and dangerous.”

When menopause symptoms disappear

For Sonja Rincon, founder and CEO of Menotracker, an AI-powered menopause tracking app, the topic is deeply personal. Looking back as she approaches 44 this month, she says her symptoms began in her mid-thirties, but they were initially misdiagnosed as depression.

“I was diagnosed with depression around the age of 35 or 36,” she told Euronews Health. “I could barely get out of bed. It was really horrible and I didn’t know what was going on.”

At the time, she was a working mother and studying law in the evenings, and was repeatedly told that stress and overwork were to blame. “Everyone told me that just because you’re a single mom, you’re working too much,” she said. “My doctor’s response was to prescribe medication.”

She cycled through antidepressants for years that never fully addressed the root cause. It was only much later that she discovered the concept of perimenopause. “I didn’t have perimenopause,” Rincon said. “I only got into the whole thing myself about two and a half years ago.”

After researching her condition, she attributed most of her symptoms to hormonal changes. “In the end, I basically diagnosed myself,” she said. “Then I went to the doctor to ask for hormone replacement therapy.”

Life after diagnosis

Getting the diagnosis was both reassuring and frustrating. “I was relieved,” she said. “But you don’t get back all the years you’ve spent fighting.”

The experience also gave her insight into the mental health crisis some women face during this transition. “When you get laid off so many times and everyone tells you it’s just depression, but the medication doesn’t really work, it’s incredibly stressful,” she said. “I can honestly say why the suicide rate is so high. I haven’t attempted suicide, but I’ve definitely been close to that point.”

Her experience, seeing a friend lose out on a promotion, made her realize that this was not an isolated issue.

The 2025 Global Study by Astellas Pharma confirmed this: surveying 13,800 employees in six countries, it found that nearly one in 12 women feel discriminated against at work because of menopause. And more than a third reported negative effects, from decreased productivity (17%) to fear of whistleblowing (14%), while only 24% felt comfortable discussing the issue with their manager.

“I realized that millions of women were affected,” she said. “That’s when I started thinking about what solutions there are.”

Inspired, she founded Mindotracker, an AI-powered app available in over 61 languages. It allows women to track symptoms, cycles, lifestyle data, and treatment responses, generating reports they can share with doctors to improve diagnosis and care.

Bridging the Menopause Awareness Gap

Rincón believes the broader issue is finally coming to awareness — both among the public and within medicine itself.

“Women were excluded from clinical trials until 1993. The medical world was largely run by men, and research was focused on men. There was a perception that women were basically just ‘little men.’ That thinking still affects many fields today,” she said.

She concluded, “I don’t think the intent was to marginalize women. But now we know women aren’t just little men, and there’s a lot more to it. We need to destigmatize the issue and create a culture where it’s talked about openly. It needs a cultural change.”

A recent report from the Royal College of Psychiatrists echoes Rincon’s call for action, and urges health services and governments to improve care, introduce mandatory teaching about menopause and mental health in all medical and psychiatric training, and implement workplace policies that address the impact of menopause on mental well-being.