Health & wellbeing | Neurodivergent women 'urgently' need workplace support around menstrual health

Neurodivergent women at work are often managing – and hiding – severe psychological distress related to their menstrual health, new research suggests.

In a new report, business management researchers at Heriot-Watt University say there is an “urgent need” to explore support for neurodivergent women in the workplace, particularly those who are managing problematic menstruation and perimenopause – the transition phase leading up to menopause.

Neurodiversity, which includes differences such as autism, attention deficit hyperactivity condition (ADHD) and Tourette’s Syndrome – and sometimes medications used to regulate some of the symptoms – can affect how women experience and manage the symptoms of hormonal fluctuations, the report finds.

Lack of control over the psychological and physical symptoms of the menstrual cycle and the perimenopause was a particular challenge highlighted by a large number of the neurodivergent women interviewed for the research.