Mental health

A new digital therapy helped prevent anxiety from increasing during pregnancy and after birth among people with high levels of repetitive negative thinking, a trial found. The self-led programme significantly reduced anxiety compared with usual maternity care. Participants also reported lower levels of depression and repetitive negative thinking. The findings suggest digital support could help [...]

Introducing Véa: building a more responsible, women-informed future for AI and mental wellbeing. Artificial intelligence is entering a new chapter. We’re moving beyond chatbots that answer questions into an era where AI agents are becoming increasingly embedded in our everyday lives. One of the most interesting frontiers is health. AI health coaches are beginning to [...]

Autistic women consistently experience more severe menopausal symptoms than non-autistic people, leading to poorer wellbeing and quality of life, new research has revealed/ They also reported higher levels of anxiety and depression and poorer quality of life, all of which were linked to the severity of their menopause symptoms. The study identified further differences in [...]

The invisible cognitive burden women carry & what it's costing them at work By Katrina Zalcmane and Zahra Bhatti, co-founders of Véa. Two people can share household responsibilities while one still carries most of the mental load. One person does the shopping. The other notices what is missing, plans the meals, keeps track of what [...]

Women in perimenopause had higher odds of reporting anxiety symptoms than women before or after menopause, a review of 21 studies involving 24,523 women found. Compared with premenopausal women, those in perimenopause had 59 per cent higher odds of reporting anxiety symptoms, while postmenopausal women had 63 per cent higher odds. However, a direct comparison [...]

Women with autoimmune conditions were more likely than men to have their symptoms dismissed as psychological or psychosomatic, new research has revealed. The findings suggested that women face much longer waits for a diagnosis and treatment. More than 6,600 people with autoimmune conditions took part in the study. Most participants were women, and most were [...]

Black mothers across most of England lack targeted maternal mental health support despite facing higher risks during and after pregnancy, a report has found. The analysis found a patchwork of provision across England, with inconsistent data, funding and support for Black women. The vast majority of Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) do not commission services specifically [...]

AI-powered journaling app Véa is supporting mental health by helping women to understand their thoughts, triggers and behavioural patterns.  Winner of the Brain and Mental Health Innovation Award at this year’s Femtech World Awards, Véa is designed to address the emotional gap in women's health technology. The journal - which has been built by a [...]

Women entering pregnancy with multiple long-term health conditions face higher risks of miscarriage and other complications, a UK study found. Those with two or more pre-existing physical or mental health conditions had a 20 per cent higher risk of miscarriage than women with no long-term conditions. They also had more than twice the risk of [...]

Women with childbirth-related PTSD had healthcare costs 2.5 times higher than women without PTSD from six to 12 months after birth, a report found. The analysis estimated that early prevention of traumatic births and childbirth-related post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) could save the NHS around £26m each year. Women with PTSD were also less likely to [...]