Menopause: One in four say the biggest emotional burden is the pressure to appear fine

Greater attention is finally being paid to the physical signs associated with perimenopause and menopause, but the emotional burden of this natural life stage can be harder to spot

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Low mood or anxiety, self-doubt and the pressure to appear fine: these are just some of the experiences identified by Menopause Dialogues – The Census*, a survey of Irish women by menopause support brand CanesMeno. The research found that almost one in four women (23 per cent) say the pressure to appear “fine” is the biggest emotional burden of perimenopause and menopause.

“These research findings really hit home,” says Maia Dunphy, TV presenter and menopause advocate. “As women, we’re often expected to just ‘get on with it’, but menopause is a profound life stage that impacts almost every aspect of wellbeing, from sleep and energy to relationships and work. The fact that so many women feel unsupported, or even unaware of what they’re experiencing, is a clear call to action.” Anxiety, says Dr Louise Fitzgerald, a Dublin GP with a special interest in menopause, is one of the “most prominent signs that I see in menopause”.