Personnel Today
  • OHW+
  • Join
  • Resources
    • Clinical governance
    • Disability
    • Ergonomics
    • Health surveillance
    • OH employment law
    • OH service delivery
    • Research
    • Return to work and rehabilitation
    • Sickness absence management
    • Wellbeing and health promotion
  • Conditions
    • Mental health
    • Musculoskeletal disorders
    • Blood pressure
    • Cancer
    • Cardiac
    • Dementia
    • Diabetes
    • Respiratory
    • Stroke
  • CPD
  • Webinars
  • Jobs
  • Personnel Today

Register
Log in
Personnel Today
  • OHW+
  • Join
  • Resources
    • Clinical governance
    • Disability
    • Ergonomics
    • Health surveillance
    • OH employment law
    • OH service delivery
    • Research
    • Return to work and rehabilitation
    • Sickness absence management
    • Wellbeing and health promotion
  • Conditions
    • Mental health
    • Musculoskeletal disorders
    • Blood pressure
    • Cancer
    • Cardiac
    • Dementia
    • Diabetes
    • Respiratory
    • Stroke
  • CPD
  • Webinars
  • Jobs
  • Personnel Today

Return to work and rehabilitationSickness absence managementMenopauseOccupational HealthOHW+

Insight into severity of menopause symptoms

by Nic Paton 27 May 2022
by Nic Paton 27 May 2022 Night sweats are a symptom experienced by many menopausal women
Shutterstock
Night sweats are a symptom experienced by many menopausal women
Shutterstock

Women whose menopause is medically induced or who have a pre-existing medical condition are more likely to experience severe or acute symptoms, a survey has suggested.

The UK study of 1,000 peri- to post-menopausal women, aged between 30 and 65, found 74% whose menopause is medically induced and 66% who had a pre-existing medical condition experienced severe or acute symptoms.

No one menopause experience was the same, and experience and severity of menopause symptoms could vary dramatically, depending on factors, such as personal circumstances and demographics, it said.

More than two-thirds (67%) of those who had symptoms for more than five years were also more likely to experience severe or acute symptoms, according to the research by menopause training and support provider Over The Bloody Moon and research insights agency Kantar.

Those with smaller networks and support and those who did not talk about menopause were more likely to describe symptoms as severe or unbearable, it added.

The emotional impact was cited as the most negative effect of menopause, with 67% of respondents reporting very or slightly negative emotions around mood and feelings.

Menopause and work

More seeking menopause support in 2022, but many concerned about treatment options

Brain fog: the menopause symptom impacting women at work

One in three women call in sick because of menopause

More than half (59%) reported lower self-confidence, and 57% a decline in mental health. A total of 79% of women who had experienced depression, trauma, or poor mental health felt a very negative effect to mood and feelings, while 83% women on anti-depressants experienced a negative impact on self-confidence and feelings, it added.

The severity of menopause symptoms study also looked at ways women were managing their menopause and satisfaction with these solutions. The most effective way women were managing symptoms was HRT, with 84% of women on HRT seeing improved results, it concluded.

Lesley Salem, founder of Over the Bloody Moon, said: “Thanks to our partnership with Kantar, we’ve been able to identify determining factors, such as people’s history and current circumstances that will influence whether their menopause is likely to be more or less challenging for them.

“This has huge implications for workplaces and healthcare professionals, as it means we can identify at-risk individuals and ensure they get early intervention and are encouraged to make lifestyle changes to manage their symptoms,” she added.

Nic Paton
Nic Paton

Nic Paton is consulting editor of OHW+. One of the country's foremost workplace health journalists, Nic has written for OHW+ and Occupational Health & Wellbeing since 2001, and edited the magazine from 2018.

previous post
P&O Ferries boss denies reputational damage after mass redundancies
next post
Davos 2022: ‘Invest in social jobs to save the global economy’

Leave a Comment Cancel Reply

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

You may also like

EHRC supports tribunal claim for ‘menopause discrimination’

2 Oct 2023

Labour pledges small business menopause guidance

27 Sep 2023

‘Landmark’ women’s health survey slammed for excluding over-55s

13 Sep 2023

Women’s health survey seeks views to shape future...

8 Sep 2023

Menopausal worker at Direct Line wins reasonable adjustments...

4 Sep 2023

NHS to roll out women’s health ‘hubs’

26 Jul 2023

The challenges of making menopause a protected characteristic

11 Jul 2023

Almost a third of women expect to leave...

6 Jul 2023

One in 10 employers offers over 50s retention...

26 Jun 2023

Does the menopause workplace standard go far enough?

23 Jun 2023

  • Almost a fifth of UK workers feel undervalued – we need to solve this PROMOTED | A new report has found...Read more
  • Discover the value of CIPD accreditation PROMOTED | See how the CIPD can increase your earning potential...Read more
  • What does it mean to be an HR professional in 2024? (survey) PROMOTED | The world of HR is changing rapidly...Read more
  • The Contractor Management Mastery Pack: Everything you need to manage and pay global contractors PROMOTED | Answers to cross-border...Read more

PERSONNEL TODAY

About us
Contact us
Browse all HR topics
Email newsletters
Content feeds
Cookies policy
Privacy policy
Terms and conditions

JOBS

Personnel Today Jobs
Post a job
Why advertise with us?

EVENTS & PRODUCTS

The Personnel Today Awards
The RAD Awards
Employee Benefits
Forum for Expatriate Management
OHW+
Whatmedia

ADVERTISING & PR

Advertising opportunities
Features list 2023

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin


© 2011 - 2023 DVV Media International Ltd

Personnel Today
  • OHW+
  • Join
  • Resources
    • Clinical governance
    • Disability
    • Ergonomics
    • Health surveillance
    • OH employment law
    • OH service delivery
    • Research
    • Return to work and rehabilitation
    • Sickness absence management
    • Wellbeing and health promotion
  • Conditions
    • Mental health
    • Musculoskeletal disorders
    • Blood pressure
    • Cancer
    • Cardiac
    • Dementia
    • Diabetes
    • Respiratory
    • Stroke
  • CPD
  • Webinars
  • Jobs
  • Personnel Today