Call for action on menopause
and mental health
Date published: 24 April 2026
A Wychavon community health champion who was left suicidal after her menopause symptoms were misdiagnosed is set to speak out in a bid to change attitudes around the issue.
Sally is sharing her story to prevent other women going through the harrowing experience she endured over several years.
She is speaking at Wychavon’s ‘Story of Hope Workshop’ on Tuesday, 28 April at 10.30am at Watersedge in Bishampton. The session is open to members of the public as well as professionals working in health and support services.
Sally first became involved with Wychavon last year as a volunteer peer mentor on the Wellbeing in Wychavon programme. Through her work with the programme, she began to open up about her own experiences and highlight the need for greater awareness of the link between the menopause and mental health. As a result, women of perimenopausal age are now recognised as a priority group within the scheme.
Sally’s symptoms began in 2018 with anxiety, panic attacks and insomnia, which gradually took over her life. The menopause was never considered as a possible cause, and her condition worsened over several years, leading to multiple hospital admissions and suicide attempts.
The turning point came when Sally recognised her symptoms after watching a television documentary and was prescribed hormone replacement therapy. Within months, her mental health improved and she was able to rebuild her life.
Sally is now using her story to help others, including contributing to a book being published by the Royal College of Psychiatrists this summer to improve understanding of the link between hormones and mental health.
“When I went on HRT, it was like someone had turned the light on. After all those years of being lost, suddenly there I was,” Sally said.
“Everything that happened to me was completely preventable. If just one person had checked my hormone levels, things would have been very different.
“When I asked why hormones had never been considered, I was just dismissed. That’s when I knew I had to tell my story. Things have to change.”
Research shows women experiencing perimenopause are significantly more likely to report suicidal thoughts and experience depression and anxiety. In Worcestershire suicide rates are higher among women aged 45 to 49.
The workshop forms part of the Wellbeing in Wychavon programme, which supports residents to peer-support and signpost others in the community or workplace who are feeling challenged by poor mental wellbeing.
Anyone who wants to hear Sally’s story in full, and improve their understanding of the link between mental health and the menopause, should register for a free ticket to the Story of Hope workshop here. Places are limited.
Visit our Wychavon Wellbeing page for more information on the Wellbeing in Wychavon scheme.