Study Finds Autistic People Report More Severe Menopause Symptoms

Overview

• A peer‑reviewed study published in late October 2026 compared 476 autistic and 425 non‑autistic participants and tracked self‑reported symptoms over five weeks.
• Autistic participants reported substantially worse menopause symptoms and a notably lower quality of life than non‑autistic participants.
• Depression and anxiety scores were higher among autistic people and these mental‑health measures were linked to the severity of menopausal symptoms.
• Autistic participants were more likely to have serious physical conditions, including about twice the rate of reported cardiovascular problems and more than four times the rate of musculoskeletal conditions.
• Authors and the study funder urged clearer clinical recognition and information tailored to autistic people while noting the study relied on self‑report and a mostly cisgender‑female sample, so more research is needed to guide care.