"I was just a shell" : Mental health concerns for women in perimenopause and menopause

Journal article


O'Reilly, Kate, McDermid, Fiona, McInnes, Susan and Peters, Kath. (2024). "I was just a shell" : Mental health concerns for women in perimenopause and menopause. International Journal of Mental Health Nursing. 33(3), pp. 693-702. https://doi.org/10.1111/inm.13271
AuthorsO'Reilly, Kate, McDermid, Fiona, McInnes, Susan and Peters, Kath
Abstract

Early detection of deteriorating mental health for women who are experiencing symptoms associated with perimenopause and menopause is critical to ensure the well-being of women. Unfortunately, many women during this phase of their lives find it difficult to access relevant and timely treatment. This concurrent mixed methods study using an online survey and qualitative interviews explored Australian women's knowledge and experiences of perimenopause and menopause and specifically reports on findings associated with women's mental health. Four hundred and eleven women completed the online survey in its entirety and 25 women participated in semi-structured interviews between April and July 2022. Survey data were analysed using SPSS and, in this article, data are presented as descriptive statistics. Qualitative interviews were analysed using thematic analysis guided by Braun and Clarke (2013; 2019). Quantitative and qualitative data specific to women's mental health were integrated into three themes: (1) increased anxiety and depression, (2) a negative impact on emotions and (3) a negative impact on self-worth. Findings from this study will help to inform clinical services for women as it highlights the need to improve education about perimenopause and menopause for healthcare providers and women.

Keywordsassessment; menopause; mental health; nursing; perimenopause; women
Year2024
JournalInternational Journal of Mental Health Nursing
Journal citation33 (3), pp. 693-702
PublisherJohn Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd
ISSN1445-8330
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)https://doi.org/10.1111/inm.13271
PubMed ID38082463
Scopus EID2-s2.0-85179366691
Open accessPublished as ‘gold’ (paid) open access
Page range693-702
Publisher's version
License
File Access Level
Open
Output statusPublished
Publication dates
Online11 Dec 2023
Publication process dates
Accepted17 Nov 2023
Deposited09 May 2025
Additional information

© 2023 The Authors. International Journal of Mental Health Nursing published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

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License: CC BY 4.0
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