An architect took her own life after difficulty concentrating caused by the start of the perimenopause left her ‘very fearful’ of losing her high-flying career, an inquest heard.
Mother-of-two Victoria Baker, 52, – who ‘held herself to an exceptionally high standard’ – suffered a devastating collapse in her mental health in the weeks before her death and had to be sectioned.
She became convinced the ‘brain fog’ she was suffering, as well as anxiety and insomnia, were caused by medication she had taken for an insect bite or possibly fish she had eaten on holiday in Italy.
But doctors said they believed it was simply caused by the perimenopause – the transitional phase before the menopause during which oestrogen production slows – combined with undiagnosed ADHD.
Ms Baker, of Aylsham, Norfolk, was found hanged at the hospital where she had been sent in November 2024 and died a week later when her life support was switched off.
Following the conclusion of the inquest, where jurors returned a narrative conclusion, her husband, Sefton Archer – who she also worked with as a property designer and developer – called for better understanding and greater awareness of the impact of the perimenopause.
‘Victoria’s condition was never categorically diagnosed but I strongly suspect that there is a clear link with the menopause,’ he said.
‘Menopause not only comes with its own symptoms but it can exacerbate otherwise previously latent mental conditions.
Mother-of-two Victoria Baker, 52, – who ‘held herself to an exceptionally high standard’ – suffered a devastating collapse in her mental health in the weeks before her death and had to be sectioned
‘For many women, this can be disabling. It’s a time when they most need the love of their families but a time when their needs are misunderstood.
‘There definitely needs to be more support for women going through this change in their lives.’
Research has shown a rise in suicides in recent years among woman aged 45 to 54, the age of the menopausal transition.
Mother-of-two Nicola Bulley, 45, who sparked a massive hunt when she went missing in near a river in Lancashire in January 2023 had been struggling with the menopause before her death, her inquest heard.
A study last year also revealed one in 18 women leave their jobs during menopause due to a mix of physical symptoms, workplace culture, and lack of support, at a cost of £1.5 billion to the economy every year.
Mr Archer, 66, told the hearing in Norwich that he and his wife had shared a ‘very happy marriage’ and her ‘energy, drive and restlessness had been an asset to her as an architect’.
He added: ‘But as she went into the menopause it became a problem because she was struggling with the inattention.’
Consultant psychiatrist Daniel Dalton told the inquest Ms Baker was ‘very fearful’ her successful lifestyle was slipping away
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Consultant psychiatrist Daniel Dalton told the inquest Ms Baker was ‘very fearful’ her successful lifestyle was slipping away and became convinced that antihistamine medication taken for an insect bite had caused ‘brain damage’.
She also through a fish meal in Venice could be to blame or anti-malaria medication.
‘She was not delusional. She held those beliefs sincerely on the basis of symptoms she was experiencing,’ he said, although he added there was no evidence of a link between the medications and any neurological problems.
Ms Baker’s condition was instead suspected to be caused by anxiety, suspected ADHD and the onset of perimenopause.
The link between the last two is becoming better understood, the inquest was told, with hormonal changes significantly exacerbating symptoms in some women.
Dr Dalton told jurors there is increasing evidence undiagnosed ADHD in women can significantly worsen during the menopause because falling oestrogen levels reduce dopamine activity.
Dopanine is sometimes described as the ‘feel-good’ hormone. It plays a key role in motivation, pleasure, mood regulation, and motor control.
Ms Baker, who had begun talking about travelling to Zurich for euthanasia, was admitted as an inpatient at Hellesdon Hospital in September 2024 after she was sectioned under the Mental Health Act.
An inquest that ruled mother-of-two Nicola Bulley, 45, drowned by accident in 2023 heard she had described her brain feeling ‘overloaded’ as a result of the menopause
The section was lifted a week later but she continued staying there on a voluntary basis.
The possibility of discharging her had been discussed when she was found hanged in her room on November 10.
CPR was started before she was transferred to Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital, where she died on November 17.
The jury’s narrative conclusion was returned on the basis that they had been unable to decide whether she intended to take her own life.
Speaking afterwards, Mr Archer said: ‘We would like to thank everyone who cared for Victoria for their help and support and can now realise how difficult and demanding their work can be.
‘Victoria leaves behind her husband and two children who will always deeply miss having Victoria in their lives.’
Around one in 6 women experience suicidal thoughts during the perimenopause and menopause, research has shown.
A coroner ruled Ms Bulley, who drowned in the River Wyre, had died as a result of an accident after experts said entering cold water can cause a person to gasp, inhale water and drown in seconds.
BBC Radio 4 Today presenter Emma Barnett last year described how she felt ‘robbed’ of her identity after going through perimenopause at 38
But the hearing how she had struggled with the symptoms of the menopause over Christmas 2022, including lack of sleep and her brain feeling ‘overloaded’, and from the HRT she was prescribed.
Her sister, Louise Cunningham, said: ‘She discussed having some symptoms with the HRT, it was back in the summer (of 2022).
‘She was having headaches, she couldn’t get the balance exactly right, she mentioned having struggles sleeping.
‘She was taking lavender spray, herbal tea, anything that would relax her before bed.’
Stars have also opened up about their experiences. BBC Radio 4 presenter Emma Barnett, who formerly presented Woman’s Hour, last year described how she felt ‘robbed’ of her identity after going through perimenopause at 38.
The Menopause Charity said: ‘Perimenopause can have a significant impact on mental health for some women, including anxiety, insomnia, loss of confidence, difficulty concentrating and low mood. For some, these symptoms can be severe and overwhelming.
‘Despite growing awareness of the physical symptoms of menopause, the psychological and cognitive effects are still too often misunderstood, overlooked or misattributed. Many women tell us they feel dismissed or unsupported when seeking help.
‘This is why timely recognition, compassionate support and access to appropriate care are so important. We need menopause and mental health to be part of the same conversation, because for some women the consequences of not recognising the signs can be devastating.’
* For confidential support, call Samaritans on 116 123, visit samaritans.org or visit www.thecalmzone.net/get-support
