Survey of over-50s women finds almost two in three struggle with mental health
Almost two in three women over 50 in the UK struggle with their mental health as they deal with menopause, relationship breakdowns and changes to their appearance, a survey has found,Brain fog, parents dying, children leaving home and financial pressures can also trigger difficulties such as sleeping problems, feeling anxious or overwhelmed, and a loss of zest for life,However, an “epidemic of silence” surrounds the challenges women face to their mental health in midlife, as almost nine out of 10 of those affected seek no help to cope,The findings emerged from a survey of 2,000 women aged 50 and over across Britain, commissioned by the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP), which represents therapists,The findings were “a sobering read”, said Dr Lisa Morrison, BACP’s director of professional standards, policy and research.
“We know that for many women this stage in life presents a convergence of major challenges – from the menopause and other physical changes, to relationship breakdowns, caring responsibilities and empty-nest syndrome.“What is most alarming is that a staggering nearly nine in 10 women [affected] are facing mental health struggles but feel the need to hide it.For many women over 50, midlife mental wellbeing challenges are having a devastating impact on their day-to-day lives.”The negative consequences of a widespread “holding back from opening up” included trouble sleeping (59%), gaining or losing weight (43%), avoiding social events (38%) and withdrawing from friendship groups (28%), according to the survey, undertaken by the market research firm 3Gem.Overall, 58% felt more anxious and overwhelmed by things that would previously not have affected them.
Asked what stopped them opening up about their mental welfare, women said they did not want to burden people (4%), felt they needed to “hold it together” for others (45%), feared that other people would not understand (27%), and tended to keep a “stiff upper lip” (24%),The BACP is launching a campaign today to warn midlife women that “stiff upper lip” culture is bad for them and they should consider therapy as a form of support,Menopause presents particular challenges: the BACP’s Mindometer research, its annual survey of almost 3,000 therapists, has identified a significant rise in women seeking therapy to help them cope with concerns related to it, especially anxiety,When women were asked what pressures they had faced since turning 50 that affected their mental wellbeing, brain fog – a common side-effect of menopause – was the commonest answer (38%), and navigating menopause (34%) was the third most cited,“Menopause can lead to symptoms such as brain fog, poor sleep and memory loss, which can make women question their own competence and abilities,” said Morrison.
“Alongside this many are navigating a transition in their home lives.This might include grief, taking on caring responsibilities for ageing relatives, young adult children leaving home, or the breakdown of a relationship.”Financial difficulties were also common, Morrison said.“A culmination of even just a couple of these issues, on top of the usual day-to-day challenges, can be enough to make women feel overstretched and unsupported.”Janet Lindsay, the chief executive of the charity Wellbeing of Women , said: “Hormonal changes during menopause can have a significant impact on women’s mental health.
A culture of dismissal can leave many feeling pressured into keeping their struggles to themselves.“Perimenopause and menopause symptoms or fluctuating oestrogen can lead to anxiety, low mood, irritability and brain fog, and without proper support, these can have a profound impact on a woman’s life and wellbeing.”A survey published on Wednesday of 9,600 mothers in 12 European countries found that 71% of mothers in the UK felt overloaded and 47% suffered from mental health challenges, such as depression and burnout.
Maye v Stafford for MVP and Aaron Rodgers getting flattened: NFL end of season awards
With the Super Bowl on the horizon, we pick the outstanding players and moments from the season just goneDrake Maye struggled through a blizzard as the New England Patriots dragged themselves past the Denver Broncos and into the Super Bowl. But he endured, holding on to execute in the critical moments, as he had done against the Houston Texans the week before.New England’s victory over Denver came down to two plays. The arm was off the table in the wind and snow, so Maye’s athleticism came to the fore with a 28-yard scramble up the middle as he sensed the orange sea parting just enough for him to dart the Patriots into chip-shot territory and a 10-7 lead in the third quarter. Then Maye put the Broncos to the sword with a rogue audible
Winter Olympics preview: one week to go until Milano Cortina 2026
Next week the Winter Olympic Games will return to Italy for the first time in two decades. From the fashion capital of Milan to the dramatic peaks of Cortina d’Ampezzo, the Milano Cortina Games – the first to be co-hosted by two cities – will stretch across northern Italy blending world-class winter sport with a strong sense of history and ambition.Sixteen sports and more than 110 gold medals await, from the raw speed of alpine skiing and bobsleigh to the tactical endurance of biathlon and cross-country. Alpine fans will once again orbit Mikaela Shiffrin, still redefining excellence across the technical disciplines, while Team GB’s Dave Ryding will hope to deliver one last Olympic moment. Figure skating returns with its familiar blend of artistry and pressure, led by the American phenomenon Ilia Malinin, whose boundary-pushing jumps continue to reshape the sport
Carlos Alcaraz beats Alexander Zverev in epic five-set Australian Open semi-final – as it happened
A weary Alexander Zverev described the decision to allow a medical timeout for a cramping Carlos Alcaraz in their epic Australian Open semi-final as “bullshit”, but didn’t want the matter to take the focus off the quality of Friday’s memorable encounter.The German failed to capitalise on breaks in the second and fifth sets, as the world No 1 rallied from his physical ailments to win 6-4, 7-6 (5), 6-7 (3), 6-7 (4) 7-5 in five hours and 27 minutes.Tournament rules allow medical timeouts for injuries but not muscle cramps. However, the decision is left to the attending physio and doctor.Alcaraz clutched at the inside of his right groin late in the third set and was moving gingerly – indicating either cramp or a more severe injury – and was allowed a medical timeout after seeking attention from the physio
Carlos Alcaraz breaks Zverev’s heart after surviving cramp to win five-set epic
Murmurs around Melbourne Park had been building. That the men’s Australian Open draw had not met expectations in 2026. That matches had been one-sided, and lacking memorable moments. That so-called SinCaraz was a foregone conclusion. That tennis had lost its touch
Teófimo López and Shakur Stevenson set for high-stakes clash at Madison Square Garden
American stars meet at sold-out Madison Square GardenStevenson rises to 140lb in bid for title in fourth divisionLópez enters in rare underdog role that suits his historyWhen Teófimo López and Shakur Stevenson come together on Saturday night inside the big room at Madison Square Garden, a junior welterweight title and a claim to American fistic supremacy will be on the line before a sold-out crowd of more than 20,000 spectators.Two of the finest US-born fighters of their generation are set to collide in a delicious matchup that pits volatility against control, power against precision, chaotic ambition against measured discipline. Both men arrive as world champions across multiple weight classes, both are 28 and prime, and both view the contest as a gateway to pound-for-pound recognition and the untold opportunities it confers.López (22-1, 13 KOs) enters as the WBO and lineal champion at 140lb, making the fourth defense of the belt he seized with a masterclass performance against Scotland’s Josh Taylor in 2023. Stevenson (24-0, 11 KOs), already a three-division world champion from 126lb through 135lb, moves up in pursuit of a fourth divisional title and his most high-profile victory to date
‘A very Italian problem’: inside the fight against the mafia and corruption at the Winter Olympics
Early on the morning of 8 October, the Provincial Command of the Carabinieri in Belluno put out a press release announcing three arrests, in the culmination of a year-long investigation they called “Operation Reset”. Two of the three were brothers, were both known members of the notorious SS Lazio Ultras, the Irriducibili, it was stated in the release, and had boasted of having personal ties to former boss Fabrizio Piscitelli, who was murdered in 2019. The crimes the brothers had been arrested on suspicion of had not been committed in Rome, but 400 miles north, in the small alpine ski resort of Cortina d’Ampezzo, high in the Dolomites, and home, for the next three weeks, to the Winter Olympics.The brothers are still awaiting trial, but the local public prosecutor’s office has alleged that they were running an operation in three phases. The first was taking control of the drug distribution network in Cortina, the second was to take control of three local nightclubs, and the third was to extort the local council into awarding the construction contracts for the works being done for the Games
‘It turned out I had a brain tumour …’ Six standup comics on what spurred them to get on stage
Claire Denis’s Stars at Noon: who knew the end of the world could feel so romantic?
Eric Huntley obituary
‘We get a lot of requests for it to be used in sex scenes’: how Goldfrapp made Ooh La La
Blurry rats and coyotes with mange: the oddly thrilling subreddit dedicated to identifying wildlife
‘She was a bitch in the best possible way’: the life and mysterious death of drag queen Heklina