Serious symptoms of depression in women with menopause are being missed at alarming rates, a new report has found.
The 2026 Australian Menopause Experience Report analysed data from close to 1,500 women using Metluma’s UMA400 app.
The health tool developed with Monash University helps women track symptoms of perimenopause and menopause like energy, mood and sleep.
The data shows that women experiencing isolation, exhaustion, brain fog and collapsing confidence are at greater risk of developing severe menopause depression.
CEO and co-founder of Metluma Georgie Drury said the findings expose a major blind spot in women’s healthcare.
“Women are being left to white-knuckle a treatable life stage while their confidence, relationships and quality of life unravel,” Drury said
Looking at data from Metluma’s UMA40 assessment tool, 94 percent of women at severe risk of depression reported feeling isolated compared to just 12 percent in the low-risk group.
According to Metluma, these serious mental health risks are often brushed off as “feeling a bit flat”.
But women at high risk of menopause-related depression can experience a sharp decline in multiple areas of life.
The report has also found that as depression risk increases, symptom burden escalates across cognition, confidence, exhaustion and anxiety, not just mood.
In fact, 100 per cent of the women at severe risk of depression reported poor concentration, low confidence and fatigue.
And nearly all of them also reported overwhelm, anxiety and forgetfulness.
The findings spotlight that women experiencing symptoms like this are not just feeling sadness, rather a deeply altering existence where they are losing all sense of who they are.
Metluma patient Emma, 49, said she was unable to recognise herself before reaching out for support.
“I thought I was failing at everything,” she said.
“I couldn’t think clearly, I was exhausted, anxious and withdrawing from everyone around me.”
The data also shows that relationships hold major psychological weight and can have a greater impact than work-related disruptions.
Women who identified their primary relationship as the area most impacted by menopause recorded the highest Meno-D score burden, with a nearly 30 per cent moderate-to-severe risk rate.
Dr Nicole Avard says the report should reshape how Australia responds to women in midlife distress.
“Too many women are being labelled stressed, burnt out or unable to cope when menopause may be sitting at the centre of it all,” Dr Avard said.
“This is not just low mood or having a few off days here and there. It is brain fog, exhaustion, anxiety, collapsing confidence and women struggling to function in their normal lives.
“When isolation enters the picture, it can be a major warning sign that a woman needs support.”
Dr Avard said menopause should be routinely considered when women present with anxiety, burnout, brain fog, low mood or overwhelm.
“It’s one of the major reasons we incorporated the Meno-D score into our UMA40 tool – earlier recognition, screening and integrated care can stop countless women reaching crisis point while being told to simply push through.”