Academics at Bournemouth University (BU) have been exploring the impact of menopause on autistic people and discovered that the transition can be life-changing - and in some instances even life-threatening - in terms of its impact on mental health and daily living skills.
The body of research, led by Dr Rachel Moseley, Principal Academic in Psychology at BU and Visiting Professor Julie Gamble-Turner, was the first of its kind to investigate autistic peoples’ experiences and how they cope with the symptoms of the menopause. Since the first study in 2018, the authors have accumulated evidence from several hundred autistic people, including personal stories and responses to psychological tests.
A consistent finding across studies was that participants noticed that aspects of their autism, which were previously helpful in their daily lives, were becoming disabling to them, as Dr Rachel Moseley explained: “It wasn’t just that autism affected their experience of the classic menopausal symptoms like hot flushes, but that the menopause affected the way that these neurodivergent people experienced their neurodivergence. Combined with menopause, some aspects of autism, such as hyper-focus or attention to detail, tipped into becoming disabling, and emotions and sensory sensitivities were dialled up. Many participants had co-occurring ADHD, and there was a similar ‘dialling up’ of ADHD difficulties at menopause.”
Most recently, the authors interviewed sixteen autistic participants to gain expert insight into why autism might affect the way a person experiences the menopause, as Professor Julie Gamble-Turner said: “Menopause isn’t just something that happens in the ovaries. Research evidence shows it’s a neurological transition point, a time of significant change in the structure and function of the brain. If you’re someone with pre-existing neurological differences, or someone with a history of life stress which affects the brain, it can affect the way you experience menopausal symptoms.”
Importantly, the research to date indicates that menopause can be a time of potential crisis for neurodivergent people, and a time at which they often struggle to access help.
Dr Moseley said: “Some autistic people in these studies described severe deteriorations in their mental health, with increased anxiety, depression, self-harm and suicidal thoughts. At the same time, many of them reported distressing experiences of being misunderstood or invalidated by healthcare professionals when they tried to seek help.” Emerging research suggests that non-autistic people with ADHD describe similar experiences.
Combining their own studies with those of other researchers and insights from neurodivergent people, Dr Rachel Moseley and Professor Julie Gamble-Turner have drawn upon the experiences of their participants, to write a book called "Autistic Menopause: A Guide to the Menopausal Transition for Autistic People and those Supporting Them.” The book aims to provide reassurance and information to autistic people going through menopause, as well as guide professionals and loved ones how best to support them.
Highlighting the need to commit resources to better support neurodivergent people before, during and after menopause, Professor Gamble-Turner explained that menopause is a very significant time: “How a person copes with menopause, and their health during it, has long-lasting impacts on their future health and even life expectancy. Helping people feel informed, empowered and confident during menopause is imperative for their future wellbeing.”
Dr Moseley emphasises the need for particular support to be provided for autistic people and people with ADHD during the menopause saying: “Neurodivergent women and people assigned female at birth have been invisible for a long time, with very few autistic people above age 50 years even diagnosed as autistic. Since this group have much higher suicide rates, it’s vital that the government commits resources to identifying them and providing the support they need.”
The book ‘Autistic Menopause: A Guide to the Menopausal Transition for Autistic People and those Supporting Them’ is available to order online.
For more information about our courses in Psychology, please visit the BU website.
