Menopause and social relationships

We found that mood and body changes sometimes lead to changes in relationships.  For some these were really big changes, including divorce or separation from partners.  For others, partners and children (including sons) had become important supports, especially for some of the women of colour in the sample.  At the same time, amongst single mothers there was a concern about children bearing the brunt of mood changes (which in turn could create feelings of guilt).

In terms of inter-generational learning very few participants had received much information about the menopause from their mothers, and this was seen as a generational change.  Nearly all participants noted how much discussion about the menopause has opened up in the last five-odd years in the UK, which nearly everyone agreed was a good thing.  A few participants noted hoping this trend carries on and goes farther so that things ‘are better for our daughters’.

We found quite a bit of variation in the amount of social support participants felt they had.  A few of the women of colour in relatively less-diverse Bristol as well as many of the women living in Monmouthshire (the most rural site) reported feeling less well supported socially and like they wished they had a few more people they could talk to about the menopause.  In contrast, white women in Stroud, Bristol and London and women of colour in (more-diverse) London reported feeling well supported socially.  Across the whole sample participants spoke of experiencing the menopause within the web or lattice of the totality of their lives, including demands of work (or having to change work to respond to tiredness, anxiety etc), care of children, aging parents or both (the ‘care sandwich’).