As partners are urged to recognize warning signs, suicide rates among menopausal females rise.

Suicide rates among women in their 40s have increased, and partners should be alert for warning signs.

In the past 20 years, rates among women aged 45-54 have increased six percent. It’s the same age range as menopause.

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The Menopause Experts Group produced these stats and is encouraging women to recognize that low mood, depression, or anxiety may be caused by menopause.

There are many reasons why these symptoms may occur, including hormone fluctuations that have occurred in the years prior to and after periods stopped – starting at the 40s.

Other stressors that can cause women to feel helpless include juggling childcare, caring after elderly parents, and managing a career.

HRT can be used to balance hormones for women experiencing overwhelming menopause changes.

Dee Murray, founder and CEO of the Menopause Experts Group, said: “Menopause affects every woman differently, but for many it can bring unpleasant physical, emotional and psychological symptoms that can be challenging to deal with.

“Mental health issues like depression, anxiety and stress are hard to deal with, and many women will not know that they can commonly be caused by menopause.

“Women who are not aware they are going through menopause can be caught off guard by feelings of worthlessness, confusion and a complete lack of confidence.

“We cannot ignore what is happening or let these women suffer.”

Research has shown that women aged between 45 and 54 are at the highest risk of suicide, with 7 deaths per 100 000 in 2020.

It’s 14 per cent higher than a low of 6.1 seen in 1999.

This age group is not following the general trend of decreasing suicide rates for females, with rates for the over-55s dropping 28% in the past two decades.

Menopausal women have twice the suicide rate as teenagers, 2.8 for those between 15-19.

Only 3.7 per 100,000 was the rate for 65- to 69-year olds.

Dee said: “Many women in their 60s are happier post-menopause as the body and brain adjust to new hormone levels.

“This clearly has an impact on their psychology and may partly explain why suicide rates drop off later in life.”

Samaritans data also showed that women between 45-49 years old had the highest suicide rates for 2020.

Men are more likely to end their lives at this age than at any other age. However, rates of suicide at both young and old age are higher.

Menopause experts group called for doctors to learn more about menopause.

They added: “Women going through menopause need support from friends, family and colleagues, and we would recommend that everyone takes our free training so they are ready for whatever perimenopause and menopause throw at them.”

It is a few days after a grieving husband encouraged other men to learn about menopause symptoms after his wife, aged 56, died.

David Salmon claimed that menopause is something he believed to be a. “big contribution” to his wife Linda’s poor mental health was the menopause, and Covid worries “pushed her over the edge”.

He did not realize that the menopause could lead to suicidal thoughts among women. According to the BBC,Linda could have benefited from knowing this information before she sought treatment.

David said, “If your situation is similar, I would recommend that you support your wife, hold on to her hand, and help her get through it.”

“You don’t want to be where I am today, nobody needs to do that.”

Central Recorder launched “Feeling Menopause” in October to increase awareness about the topic and to improve access to HRT.

Exclusive research carried out for the campaign revealed half of menopausal women suffered depression and mental health issues.

Diane Danzebrink, one of the campaign’s backers, was just inches from ending her life after experiencing a severe period.

After a 2012 hysterectomy, she was forced into a surgical period. She became a shell of herself in the months that followed.

This was until her doctor diagnosed that her depression was caused by a drop in oestrogen. She was then treated with HRT.

Diane, 55, who launched the Menopause Support group, told Central Recorder: “The scariest thing of all is that the greatest risk of suicide amongst women is between the ages of 45 and 54 – the age of perimenopause through to post menopause for most.

“But we don’t have any research on that at all.

“Anecdotally, I’ve certainly heard from women who have said their mother committed suicice at a certain age, and now they reflect on it, they know they were going through the menopause.”

Samaritans can be reached at no cost on 116123. You may also contact other support agencies, such the ones listed here. NHS’s help for suicidal thoughts webpage.