Mental Health and Perimenopause V1

• Research type

  Research Study

• Full title

  Facilitators and Barriers to Diagnosing and Treating Perimenopause in Primary Care Patients with Mental Health Presentations

• IRAS ID

  318483

• Contact name

  Jo A Burgin

• Contact email

  jo.burgin@nhs.net

• Sponsor organisation

  Head of Research Governance, University of Bristol

• Duration of Study in the UK

  0 years, 10 months, 31 days

• Research summary

  Research Summary

  Project description
  The perimenopause is a transitional time where women begin to experience menopausal symptoms in the years before their periods finally stop. The average age women start to experience these symptoms is in the mid-forties, however, they can occur much earlier. Symptoms are caused by hormonal fluctuations and can result in multiple symptoms, including mood changes. Symptoms of mood disorder are common in women in mid-life and often present in primary care. There is little research into the health beliefs and concerns of women in the perimenopausal period with mood changes. Similarly, there is little known about General Practitioners (GPs) attitude to mood changes in the perimenopause and how this affects their consultations.

  What is the aim of the project?
  1. To explore the awareness, understanding and experiences of the perimenopause in patients aged 45-55 presenting with mood symptoms
  2. To understand General Practitioners views on mood changes in the perimenopause and how this affects their consultations

  What are we doing?
  We will ask women aged 45-55 presenting to their GP with mental health symptoms to take part in a 40 minute interview to explore their understanding and experiences of the perimenopause, their health beliefs and concerns.
  General Practitioners will be asked to take part in a 40 minute interview to explore their views on management of mental health symptoms in the perimenopausal age group and how this may affect their consultations.

  Summary of Results

  Objectives
  1) Explore health beliefs and concerns of patients presenting with mood changes in the perimenopausal age range, and whether these are addressed in Primary Care consultations
  2) Explore General Practitioners' (GP) understanding of mood changes in the perimenopause and impact on consultations.

  Methods
  Participants were women aged 45-55 who presented to their GP in the last 6 months with a mental health symptom, and GPs recruited from the same Integrated Care Board area. Online semi-structured interviews, lasting 30-60 minutes were undertaken and thematically analysed.

  Key findings

  During mental health consultations in primary care, patients are not routinely asked about menopausal symptoms, even for women in the perimenopausal age range.

  Some patients who did raise concerns about perimenopause were dismissed.

  Consultation agendas are set by patients, this is a disadvantage for women who lack awareness or confidence in addressing perimenopause

  This research highlights the importance of the GPs' role in facilitating consultations, particularly where the awareness of perimenopause is low or stigmatised.

  GPs would benefit from standardised training to increase awareness of mental health presentations in the perimenopausal age range and should be encouraged to address this directly in consultations

• REC name

  Wales REC 1

• REC reference

  22/WA/0316

• Date of REC Opinion

  4 Nov 2022

• REC opinion

  Favourable Opinion