Menopause in the workplace: Female healthcare staff experiences and the impact of stereotype priming on cognitive functioning.

Literature ReviewA critical interpretive meta-synthesis was conducted to explore how female healthcare staff experience the menopause transition in the workplace. A systematic search identified seven qualitative studies meeting the inclusion criteria. Reciprocal translational analysis revealed three interconnected themes: distress in the workplace, fear of judgement and pressure to perform. The findings show that menopause significantly impacts the well-being and performance of female healthcare workers, with stigma, lack of organisational support and gender dynamics exacerbating these challenges. The study concludes that systemic organisational changes are essential to improve the experiences and retention of menopausal healthcare staff.Research ProjectThis study investigated how stereotype priming (positive, negative, control) influences attention and reaction times in menopausal women using the Attention Network Task (ANT). Seventy-one employed women aged 40-60 were randomly assigned to priming groups and completed cognitive and self-report measures. While stereotype threat levels differed, with unexpectedly higher threat in the positive prime group, priming had no significant impact on attitudes, symptoms, reaction times or ANT network scores. Reaction times varied by cue type and congruency. Findings suggest that stereotype priming may not directly affect cognitive performance, highlighting a need for carefully framed, contextsensitive workplace support strategies.