Experiencing menopause in the UK: The interrelated narratives of normality, distress, and transformation

ABSTRACT

We investigated the experience and perspectives of menopause among 48 UK mothers through qualitative in-depth interviews. Interviews were analyzed thematically then explored using social science theories. Three interdependent narratives emerged: menopause as a normal, biological process, distinct from self and social transitions; menopause as struggle, an “idiom of distress” expressing upset, identity loss, shame, and social upheaval; and menopause as transformative and liberating, arising from biopsychic and relational changes. Some women followed a predictable “rite of passage” trajectory with transformation emerging from distress, but not all: Menopause arises from a complex interplay of personal predicament, somatic change, and sociocultural context.

KEYWORDS:

• Idiom of distress
• in-depth interviews
• menopause
• qualitative research
• rite of passage
• transformation
• UK
• women’s health

Acknowledgments

We are extremely grateful to the 48 women who took part in the ALSPAC substudy presented in this article. We also thank the members of the Anthropological Theory Group in the School of Social and Community Medicine for their insightful comments: Mwenza Blell, Christie Cabral, Helen Cramer, Jane Derges, Rachel Gooberman-Hill, Helen Lambert, Beki Langford, Caroline Wilson.

Disclosure statement

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the article.