Menopause at work_1

• Research type

  Research Study

• Full title

  Menopause at work: improving the experience of menopause for working women

• IRAS ID

  187105

• Contact name

  Myra Hunter

• Contact email

  myra.hunter@kcl.ac.uk

• Sponsor organisation

  King’s College London

• Duration of Study in the UK

  0 years, 11 months, 28 days

• Research summary

  Between 50-70% of women experience hot flushes and night sweats during the menopause transition and approximately 20% have troublesome symptoms for which they seek help. These symptoms can be particularly problematic in the workplace, and many women feel embarrassed or shy away from discussing their symptoms with their line manager or employer. Prof Griffiths and researchers conducted a large study of women employed in UK-based organisations. She found the menopausal transition caused difficulties for some women at work and some women reported that their work performance had been negatively affected. Several suggested areas for organisational-level support were highlighted: (i) greater awareness among managers about menopause as a possible occupational health issue, (ii) flexible working hours, (iii) access to information and sources of support at work, and (iv) attention to work place temperature and ventilation. This study aims to address (iii).
  Prof Hunter and colleagues have researched a range of factors that influence some of the most problematic menopausal symptoms (hot flushes and night sweats (HFNS)) and successfully developed cognitive behavioural interventions (CBT) as an alternative to medical treatments. These CBT interventions have been found to be effective in reducing the impact of HFNS and improving quality of life in two recent randomised controlled trials with menopausal women and women who have these symptoms following breast cancer treatments. In particular, a self-help book containing key information and a breathing/relaxation CD was found as effective as group CBT. The purpose of this project is to bring together these two areas of research in order to meet the needs of working menopausal women and improve the quality of their working life.

• REC name

  N/A

• REC reference

  N/A