Participant Information Sheet

Study title: Neurodivergence and Menopause transition: the living experience

Research Team:

Professor Kate Wilmut, Dr Emma Davies and Emma Rouse

Contact details: email k.wilmut@brookes.ac.uk, telephone number: 01865 534735.

You are being invited to take part in a research study. Before you decide whether or not to take part, it is important for you to understand why the research is being done and what it will involve. Please take time to read the following information carefully.

What is the purpose of the study?

The transition period through peri-menopause into menopause can affect physical, emotional and social well-being. However, how this effects neurodivergent women is not clear which means that there is very little evidence around how these women should be supported. The aim of our study is to understand the living experience of neurodivergent women during the menopause and the ways in which we can best support them.

The research team and our advisory group includes women who themselves have experiences of the menopause transition period and neurodivergence. We would like to reassure you that we are here to listen and learn from you and your experiences.

Why have I been invited to participate?

We are interested in hearing your views, if you are diagnosed with a neurodivergence or self-identify as such and you have experienced symptoms you believe are linked to the menopause transition (either currently or in the past).  For clarity, where we use the term neurodivergence here we are referring to the conditions which commonly come under this umbrella, such as autism, ADHD, DCD / dyspraxia, dyslexia, dyscalculia, dysgraphia, specific language disorder / developmental language disorder, tic disorder and / or Tourette’s disorder. If you are unsure, please do let us know. 

Do I have to take part?

No, giving your permission and taking part in the study is entirely voluntary. If you decide to take part, you will be asked to give your consent before starting the study. If you decide to take part, you are still free to withdraw at any time without providing a reason. Any data collected from you can be withdrawn up to the point of analysis by contacting the researchers. Analysis will begin one week after each session takes place.

What will happen to me if I take part?

If you decide to take part, then you will be a member of a focus group, with up to five other people. We will be running several focus groups and will offer a range of dates between April and the end of June 2026, aiming to be as flexible as possible. This will take place on Zoom and will be audio recorded only (we will not record a video of the session). When we send the online link to the focus group we will also send you a background information sheet which will ask a few questions about you (for example your age, your gender identity). We ask these questions so that we are able to describe the people who took part. It is fine if there are questions you would prefer not to answer. 

During the focus group, the following things will happen.

-At the start the researcher will introduce themselves and ask you to introduce yourself to the other people in the group. You can use your real name or use a made-up name if you prefer.

-We will ask you to share your views neurodivergence and the menopause transition period.

-We will also ask you to share your views about things that may help or make it hard for neurodivergence women to seek help around the menopause and any coping strategies or support you’ve put in place to help you during this time.

-You do not have to share your own experiences if you do not wish to. You can share your general views on this topic.

-You do not have to answer any questions you do not want to and can leave the focus group at any time.

The focus group is likely to last between 45-60 minutes and we will provide you with a £20 shopping voucher afterwards as a gesture of thanks for your kind participation.

Are there any risks involved?

It is possible that once you have taken part in this study you might have questions or want information about the menopause. You can find support at the following webpages

https://menopausesupport.co.uk/

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/menopause/help-and-support/

You can also get help and advice from your own doctor (GP).

What are the possible benefits of taking part?

There are no individual benefits to you, but if you choose to take part then you will be helping to us to understand how to help other neurodivergent women during this time.

Will what I say in this study be kept confidential?

If you participate in the focus groups, then your contributions will be heard by the other people in those sessions. We will ask that you do not share anything that is discussed outside of those sessions. We will audio record the focus groups so we can analyse the data afterwards. Once we have transcribed the sessions the audio recordings will be deleted, and any identifying details will be replaced in the transcripts. As we are only talking to a small number of people, then there is a small risk that someone could identify you from something you say. However, no identifying information will be included in any of the written work resulting from the study.

What will happen to the results of the research study?

The results of this study will be presented at an online event in the winter 2026/2027 and summarised in blogs and media articles. They will also be written up for publication in an academic journal and presented at a conference. 

We will also put an anonymised data set in a repository, such as the Open Science Framework to assist with future research on this topic. 

All the data collected from this research will be kept in keeping with the University’s policy of Academic Integrity.  This means that all data will be securely stored in paper or electronic form for a period of 10 years when the project is finished.

In addition, you will be able to see a summary of the research findings after the end of the project (after November 2026) by contacting Kate Wilmut on k.wilmut@brookes.ac.uk

Who is organising and funding the research?

The project is being conducted by researchers at Oxford Brookes University. It has been funded by the Centre for Psychological Research at Oxford Brookes University.

Ethical Approval

This study has been reviewed by Oxford Brookes University’s Research Ethics Committee (UREC committee number:191352). If you have any concerns about the way in which the study has been conducted, you may contact the Chair of the Oxford Brookes University Research Ethics Committee on ethics@brookes.ac.uk

What should I do if I want to take part?

If you have read this information and would like to be involved, then please email Emma Rouse on e.rouse@brookes.ac.uk.

Who can I contact if I have any questions?

Please ask the lead researchers, Professor Kate Wilmut or Dr Emma Davies if you have any questions or want further information about this study.  Our contact details are at the top of this page.  

Thank you very much for taking the time to read this information sheet

Professor Kate Wilmut, Dr Emma Davies and Emma Rouse

March 2026