Patient safety researchers have found that mental health services are failing women by failing to consider the impact of menopause.
Women are often prescribed antidepressants when hormone replacement therapy (HRT) would be more appropriate, they said.
A new report into the suicide of 56-year-old NHS manager Frances Wellburn has found that staff working on community mental health teams are not trained in the field and that menopause is not regularly identified as a contributing factor in women in not a bad mood. need this help.
The report found that middle age is a point where mental health can decline, leading to an increased risk of suicide.
A new report into the suicide of 56-year-old NHS manager Frances Wellburn has found that staff working on community mental health teams are not trained in the field and that menopause is not regularly identified as a contributing factor in women in not a bad mood. need this help
In addition, women during or around menopause may be at increased risk of developing schizophrenia or other psychotic disorders.
The report from the Healthcare Safety Investigation Division (HSIB) also warned that too many people commit suicide when they are at low or moderate risk of suicide.
Despite national guidelines telling staff not to classify people as low, medium or high risk, too many NHS trusts still use the system, leaving people without proper care, the researchers concluded.
The report details the case of Ms Wellburn, from York, who was in contact with local mental health services between 2019 and 2020.
In a foreword to the recording, her sister described her as a “kind, thoughtful, resourceful, funny and caring” woman who was “loved and appreciated by her family, her friends and the people she worked with.”
Ms Wellburn had a history of depression, which was treated with medication by her GP, and was not in contact with mental health services until September 2019, when she began having suicidal thoughts and was admitted to hospital.
After her release, Ms Wellburn was in regular contact with community mental health services run by the Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust.
However, there was a long supply gap when the country went into a Covid lockdown and there was no contact between Ms Wellburn and the Trust between February and May 2020.
Ms Wellburn was readmitted to hospital in May after her mental health deteriorated and was subsequently in contact with community teams until her death in August 2020.
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Doctors noted that she suffered from ongoing psychotic depression and although she was prescribed an estrogen hormone shortly before her death, this was generally a “possibly overlooked” factor by those treating her.
This is despite her sister telling the HSIB team that the effects of menopause on Ms. Wellburn was profound, both physically and mentally.
The report warned that mental health services do not consider the full impact of menopause when assessing women and do not consider its potential impact on more serious mental health symptoms.
Experts in menopause care suggested that the symptoms of menopause and perimenopause “are often confused with depression, leading women to be prescribed antidepressants instead of HRT.”
The report added: “Staff also told the study that current mental health assessments do not lead practitioners to consider menopause as part of a person’s holistic assessment.”
The HSIB issued a number of safety recommendations, including a call for Nice to review available research “regarding the mental health risks of menopause and update existing guidance as appropriate”.
The Royal College of Psychiatrists should also set up a working group to find ways to include menopause in mental health assessments.
A spokeswoman for the Tee, Esk and Wear Valley’s NHS Foundation Trust, said she could not comment on the care provided to individual patients, but added: “We support the HSIB report’s findings and recommendations on care fully within mental health teams in the community.
“We will continue to work closely with our partners across the health and social systems to ensure improvements are made.”
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Crystal Leahy is an author and health journalist who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a background in health and wellness, Crystal has a passion for helping people live their best lives through healthy habits and lifestyles.
