Boston-based women’s mental health company FamilyWell Health has developed a Menopause Hub that will provide intersectional behavioral health care to patients experiencing menopause or perimenopause.
FamilyWell is also launching a comprehensive certification program for behavioral health professionals who want to gain a deeper understanding of the overlap between the transition into menopause and mental health conditions. The decision to launch now was driven by growing patient demand, FamilyWell’s founder and CEO, Dr. Jessica Gaulton, said.
“Menopause is truly having a moment,” Gaulton told Behavioral Health Business. “Women are recognizing that it’s actually a thing, and that it can be treated… and I think the missing component that people aren’t talking enough about, that’s overlooked, is the mental health piece.”
FamilyWell’s menopause behavioral health certification already has a waitlist ahead of the program’s full launch coming this fall. The curriculum contains 15 hours of asynchronous content and includes 6 hours of mentorship. It emphasizes techniques like cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia – a common issue for women experiencing menopause – and other modalities. Clinicians can pay $999 to access the training and, upon completion, earn continuing education (CE) credits in addition to the certification.
Multiple studies have shown that the odds of developing depressive symptoms during perimenopause increase by twofold and during menopause, women who were prescribed menopausal hormone therapy also had a 41% increased risk of suicide attempts and more than a twofold increased risk of death by suicide. Overall, more than 80% of women approaching or during menopause will experience insomnia, sleep disruptions, hot flashes, anxiety, depression and cognitive changes.
However, 84% of women with menopausal symptoms never seek care, according to a Mayo Clinic study.
Yet, menopause and its peri- and post- stages are not typically studied in medical school or psychiatric training.
“As a physician myself — I’m a neonatologist — I can say that in medical school, residency, and beyond, physicians like me and OB‑GYNs don’t get any training in this area,” Gaulton said.
Because of that, the behavioral health field needs guidelines for mental health and menopause treatment, in addition to the certification, which FamilyWell has also been working to develop.
In a white paper, Gaulton established initial guidelines for menopause and mental health care, including routine mood screening at preventive visits and utilizing the menopause rating scale alongside legacy mental health tools like the PHQ-9 and GAD-7, among other recommendations for clinicians.
Demand for these services is also evident in the strategies of FamilyWell’s competitors. Earlier this week, another provider of women’s mental health services, Mavida Health, was acquired by WPS. The company noted it plans to continue to expand its mental health care to support other female and hormone-related conditions like Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) and Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD), to fertility, pregnancy, postpartum care, pregnancy loss and menopause.
“We kept hearing over and over that these women have mental health concerns too,” Gaulton said. “So many women experiencing perimenopause and menopause have mental health concerns like insomnia and depression and anxiety. It is so prevalent and oftentimes the most concerning and bothersome symptoms to women.”
FamilyWell was founded in 2022. The company recently raised $8 million in a Series A round. Gaulton said FamilyWell has additional plans for expansion and other service line capabilities on the horizon but did not disclose details at this time.