HSE Press Release
Wednesday, 8 March 2023
Today, Wednesday 8 March, the Minister of State for Mental Health and Older People, Mary Butler, announced the publication of two reports on Women’s Experiences of Mental Health Services and The Mental Health Impact of Menopause and Perimenopause.
Through funding secured from the Women’s Health Fund, the HSE’s Office of Mental Health Engagement and Recovery, together with Mental Health Reform hosted a consultation project, titled ‘What Women Said, What Women Want’, using in-person, online and survey methods to gather women’s perspectives.
Two reports emerged from this project with 321 women taking part altogether. The first report hears from women about their experiences with mental health and primary care services while the second report looks at the impact of perimenopause and menopause on their mental health.
Commenting on the reports, Minister of State for Mental Health and Older People, Mary Butler TD said: “I am delighted to launch the Women’s Mental Health Services Report, and the Mental Health Impact of Menopause and Perimenopause Report on International Women’s Day. We know that women can experience mental health differently, with challenges relating to perinatal mental health, menopause and caring responsibilities all having a significant impact.
“Through the Women’s Mental Health Fund, the Government is committed to increasing investment in community and primary care mental health services for women and girls, with an emphasis on mental health promotion and early intervention. These reports provide key insights into how we can enhance gender-sensitive mental health services and supports to improve mental health outcomes for women and girls in Ireland.”
Dr Siobhan McHale, Consultant Psychiatrist and member of the Women’s Health Task Force, added: “We welcome these informative consultation reports on the experience of women using mental health services and on the impact of menopause on women’s mental health. We acknowledge that we still have some gender-specific improvements that need attention but are heartened by the findings that the majority of respondents report a positive experience of using mental health services and that many of the issues raised are already being addressing by the HSE through their Clinical programmes and other recovery and service improvement initiatives.
“Through the work of the Women’s Health Task Force and the implementation of our national mental health policy, Sharing the Vision, we will continue to drive greater education and awareness to improve the experiences of women accessing our services.”
Reports are available on the HSE website at:
Exploring the Mental Health Impact of Menopause and Perimenopause (PDF, size 6.47MB, 32 pages)
The Experiences of Women Engaging with Mental Health Services (PDF, size 6.31MB, 40 pages)
Last updated on: 09 / 03 / 2023
