Is menopause so terrible that it drives some women to take their own lives? It’s an alarming claim that’s often cited as fact — or at least it has been for the last few years.
It was most recently developed by high-profile menopause guru Dr. Louise Newson – a general practitioner and founder of the private Newson Health chain of clinics, which treats around 4,000 patients per month, all seeking treatment for menopausal symptoms.
A Mail on Sunday investigation published earlier this month revealed concerns about her clinic, which is prescribing one in five of its patients above the approved doses of HRT.
Experts warned that these high doses should only be used in “extraordinary” circumstances, accusing them of putting patients at risk because large amounts of some hormone drugs can increase the risk of womb cancer.
dr Newson, on the other hand, insisted her approach helps at-risk women struggling with suicidal thoughts.
High profile menopause guru Dr. Louise Newson has claimed that menopause is so terrible that it causes some women to take their own lives. Pictured from left to right: Dr. Louise Newson, Mariella Frostrup, MP Carolyn Harris, Penny Lancaster and Davina McCall with protesters outside the Houses of Parliament in London demonstrating against ongoing prescription fees for HRT in October 2021
An investigation by Mail on Sunday raised concerns about Dr. Louise Newson, who prescribes one in five of her patients for HRT doses above the legal limits (File photo of a woman taking HRT pills).
She added, “The approved doses are simply the doses that the pharmaceutical companies used to conduct their studies.”
After our report, Dr. Newson – who is backed by celebrities including TV presenter Mariella Frostrup – told another newspaper about her stance.
The play told the story of a woman in her mid-40s who was suffering from a series of mental health problems that were getting worse. Antidepressants “didn’t make a difference,” but high-dose HRT helped. dr Newson said that “a lot of women” who come to her clinic “have very negative, intrusive thoughts that mean they feel like they’d be better off not being here.”
She added there was “no evidence that antidepressants help improve mental symptoms of menopause” and that “HRT saves lives”.
So is she right? First of all, it is important to think outside the box: Mental health problems are widespread. One in six adults suffers from depression, ten percent of them severely. It is about twice as common in women as in men. And some will be going through menopause.
But does that mean that menopause is the cause or the trigger? That’s pretty hard to answer – not that you know from other recent headlines. “Women died amid shortages of HRT as menopause ruins their lives,” said an April last year report on the much-discussed HRT shortage. Another simply said: “HRT life and death crisis.”
Most of these articles quoted activist and Labor MP Carolyn Harris, who said women in her Swansea East constituency were “literally suicidal” because they couldn’t get HRT.
Meanwhile, Katie Taylor of Latte Lounge, a menopause support group that charges £99 for annual membership, said: “It’s no coincidence that the highest suicide rate among women is in the 45-55 age group [when most go through the menopause].’ But is it? The ONS, which collects cause-of-death figures, reported 5,583 suicides in 2021 – the most recent year on record. Three quarters (4,129) were males, and the majority of these deaths occurred in middle age (45 to 49 for females and 50 to 54 for males).
And obviously, men don’t go through menopause.
Among women, the largest increase in suicides has been among those aged 24 and under, while suicide rates among women 45 and older have declined significantly since 1981. I’ve seen some articles suggesting there has been an increase in suicides among middle-aged women – a “fact” apparently published by a menopause campaign group. But that’s not right.
A key factor in why people take their own lives, according to the ONS, is socioeconomic status – suicide rates are twice as high in the most deprived areas as in the least deprived. And this divide is most evident in middle age.
Financial problems and debt, unemployment, broken relationships, and the “middle life demands” – caring for children and aging parents – all play a part.
As Samaritans points out, “Most of the time there is no single event or factor that drives someone to take their own life.” So, could menopausal symptoms be such a pressure that it throws some women over the edge? It’s entirely possible. But it’s unlikely that a single drug treatment, or lack thereof, will make all the difference in such nuanced cases.
In its media guidelines for responsible reporting of suicide, Samaritans advises against speculating about a trigger or cause because “suicide is extremely complex”. In light of this, the rhetoric ‘women must have HRT or they will kill themselves’ seems like an oversimplification.
There is evidence that reports of depressive symptoms or bad moods increase by an average of 10 percent during perimenopause — the transitional phase before menopause when hormones begin to fluctuate.
“The extent to which hormones play a role is not easily broken down,” says Professor Myra Hunter of Kings College London, a psychologist with more than three decades of research on women’s health. “But symptoms such as bad mood, trouble sleeping, stress and hot flashes can often work together in a vicious circle and seriously impact quality of life.”
For this reason, Prof Hunter explains, NICE guidelines state that HRT, which is highly effective in reducing all of these symptoms, should be considered along with cognitive-behavioral therapy for low mood during menopause.
Doctors are also discouraged from routinely offering antidepressants to women with menopausal symptoms unless depression is present. “For depression that can cause suicidal thoughts, antidepressants and cognitive behavioral therapy are proven treatments. And HRT can be used in combination with these when menopausal symptoms are a contributing factor.’
Labor MP Carolyn Harris (right with Lisa Snowden, left and Penny Lancaster in Parliament) said women in her Swansea East constituency were “literally suicidal” because they couldn’t get HRT
In the 1980s, gynecologist and HRT pioneer John Studd frequently treated women with mental health problems during menopause with very high doses of HRT. His research also revealed a phenomenon called tachyphylaxis, in which some overtreated patients required increasingly higher doses to control their symptoms.
And some developed severe mental health problems as a result. So more HRT is not always better for mental health. But, more importantly, Prof Hunter, like many others I’ve spoken to over the years, is concerned that a generation of women is picking up the chilling messages that menopause is going to be hell.
Research suggests that worrying can make symptoms worse. In reality, most women don’t have any serious problems. But if they do, there are a number of evidence-based interventions that can help – not always HRT.
As Prof Hunter says: “There are many factors that influence mental health in midlife. Hopefully we’ve managed to stop blaming women’s problems on our hormones.”
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