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Stress, psychological distress, psychosocial factors, menopause symptoms and physical health in women
Abstract
Relatively few studies have evaluated relationships between stress, psychological distress, psychosocial factors and menopause symptoms, and none have evaluated emotional intelligence (EI) in relation to menopause. In this study, direct and indirect relationships were evaluated between stress, psychological distress, psychosocial factors (e.g. social support, coping, EI), menopause symptom severity and physical health in middle-aged women.
One hundred and sixteen women aged 45-55 years were recruited through women's health centres and community organizations. They completed a short questionnaire asking about stress, psychological distress (i.e. anxiety, depression), EI, attitude to menopause, menopause symptoms and physical health.
Low emotional intelligence was found to be related to worse menopause symptoms and physical health, and these associations were partly mediated by high stress, anxiety and depression, a negative attitude to menopause and low proactive coping.
Women with high EI appear to hold more positive attitudes to menopause and experience less severe stress, psychological distress and menopause symptoms and better physical health. These results suggest that women who expect menopause to be a negative experience or are highly stressed or distressed may be more likely to experience a more negative menopause.
- ... Estrogen is involved in memory function, while in menopause, the hormone estrogen is decreased, so women who consume protein will help in boosting the release of neurotransmitters that serve to convey the information in the brain and other body parts (Mulyani, 2013). Consuming fruits and vegetables is good for maintaining a healthy body because they contain vitamins, minerals, beta-carotene, and antioxidants that are important for the body (Bauld & Brown, 2009;Gayatri, 2011). Foods containing vitamin E may help reduce the complaints of hot flushes and vaginal dryness problems (Muharam, 2007;Mulyani, 2013). ...... Stress is not only about dysfunction or abnormalities of organs, but it also has a psychological impact, for example anxiety and/or depression (Yusuf, Armini, & Hardiyan, 2008). Severe levels of stress can affect the cardiovascular system, causing symptoms such as heart palpitations, and blood vessel dilation or constriction; other than that the body feels hot flushes that aggravate the symptoms of hot flushes (Bauld & Brown, 2009). Somatic symptoms are often seen as a symptom of follow up or a result of stress, anxiety, and depression is prolonged. ...... Almost all respondents are housewives, where the frequency of socializing with neighbors and family is more flexible to follow the teaching activities and exercises organized by the posyandu. Bauld & Brown (2009) and Moon et al. (2017) reported that negative events or emotions can worsen the symptoms of menopause, which demonstrates the importance of the effect of psychosocial factors on menopausal symptoms. ...Introduction: Every woman will have menopausal experiences at the end of a biological process called menstrual cycles. Several complaints can be aggravated by lifestyle and stress. This study was to analyze the relation of lifestyle and stress levels with a menopausal complaint in women.Methods: This study was correlational with a cross-sectional approach. The study involved 101 menopausal women lived in a community selected by proportional random sampling. The independent variables were lifestyle and stress levels in menopausal women. The dependent variable was a menopausal complaint. This study used primary data provided by questionnaires and interviews. The data were analyzed using Spearman’s Rho.Results: There was strong correlation between lifestyle (p=0.000; r=-0.424), stress levels (p=0.000; r=0.535), and complaint in a menopausal woman.Conclusion: A healthy lifestyle, stress-controlled to minimize complaints in menopausal women. Further research is needed on factors that increase stress in postmenopausal women.
- ... be a less common occurrence than most people think (Houck, 2006;Rossi, 2004). According toBauld and Brown (2009), 25% of Western women report severe physical symptoms at some point during the menopausal transition, while 50% report mild to moderate symptoms. Hunter and Rendall (2007) suggest that about 10% of women report one of the most common symptoms, hot fl ushes, during perimenopause, while 50% report them during the 3–9 months prior to the last period. ...... Physical symptoms also vary by racial/ethnic group, with white women experiencing symptoms at the highest rates (Avis et al., 2001;Santoro & Green, 2009). The most commonly cited psychological symptoms associated with the menopausal transition include irritability, nervousness, stress or distress, and depression (Bauld & Brown, 2009). Some studies have found that while vasomotor symptoms seemed more consistent, varying by genetic or lifestyle factors, psychological symptoms had greater inter-group variability among races, and showed greater variability by region (Avis et al., 2001;Ayers, Forshaw, & Hunter, 2010;Bromberger & Kravitz, 2011). ...... Women undergo a number of hormonal changes during the menopausal transition, and there are some common physical and physiological changes that women experience (Abernethy, 2008;Hunter & Rendall, 2007;Rossi, 2004). The most commonly named physical symptoms include vasomotor symptoms (better known as hot fl ashes or hot fl ushes), vaginal dryness, night sweats, sleep disturbances, and headaches, although additional symptoms such as sexual dysfunction, itchy skin, and bowel upsets are also reported in conjunction with the menopausal transition (Bauld & Brown, 2009;Dennerstein, Dudley, Hopper, Guthrie, & Burger, 2000;Kuh et al., 1997). Taken alone, these symptoms are not considered imminently threatening, but they are often disruptive (Boughton, 2002). ...Menopause is an important health transition for women, but health-related research has largely failed to account for menopause in a meaningful way, especially when making group comparisons. Age often stands in for menopausal status; at times, it is treated as a dichotomy; however, these are clearly oversimplifications. Menopause is a process that takes place over several years, and varies in onset, length, and expression through symptoms. Defining menopause dichotomously or linking it with age obscures variability in women’s experiences and overlooks patterns in physical health, mental health, and quality of life. This paper reviews research to highlight menopausal differences by age, race, and life-style factors in the United States. It suggests ways to incorporate a life course-based view of menopause in health research, improving our understanding of women’s health outcomes on multiple dimensions.
- ... As regards menopause, it is a natural process in the life cycle of women, whereby menstruation becomes absent due to a cessation of the hormonal activity of the ovaries123. The most commonly reported menopausal symptoms include hormone withdrawal symptoms (e.g., hot flushes, night sweats, sleep disorders), as well as urogynecological and cardiovascular symptoms and complaints, osteoporosis and atrophies [2,4,5678910. Women also report a feeling of emptiness resulting from the loss of their youth, attractiveness or social and professional roles, which affects their psycho-social functioning [2,4,6,10]. A woman's experience of menopause is a product of interacting biological, psychological and social factors. ...... The most commonly reported menopausal symptoms include hormone withdrawal symptoms (e.g., hot flushes, night sweats, sleep disorders), as well as urogynecological and cardiovascular symptoms and complaints, osteoporosis and atrophies [2,4,5678910. Women also report a feeling of emptiness resulting from the loss of their youth, attractiveness or social and professional roles, which affects their psycho-social functioning [2,4,6,10]. A woman's experience of menopause is a product of interacting biological, psychological and social factors. ...... A woman's experience of menopause is a product of interacting biological, psychological and social factors. These factors and symptoms affect a woman's life and activities, i.e., her quality of life [4,6,8,101112. Quality of life (QoL) is a broad, multidimensional concept, including physiological, psychological and social factors, as well as the subjective experience of both the negative and positive aspects of an individual's life [13]. ...In the present study, we performed an analysis of the influence of climacteric symptoms on women's lives and activities, i.e. their quality of life (QoL). The study was performed between October 2011 and February 2012. It included 148 women aged 44-62. The study used a diagnostic survey with questionnaires. The research instrument was the Blatt-Kupperman index. The respondents were asked to complete a questionnaire on socio-demographic data, quality of life, and the influence of climacteric symptoms on life and its various aspects. The respondents experiencing moderate or severe climacteric symptoms also had stronger feelings of failure (p = 0.005), feeling that opportunities are still available (p = 0.002), of losing their youth and beauty (p < 0.0001), compared to those who had slight or no symptoms. The intensity of climacteric symptoms significantly affects women's lives and activities, i.e., their QoL. The reported intensity of climacteric symptoms is influenced by the respondents' education, residence, marital status and professional activity. The more severe the climacteric symptoms, the lower the women's quality of life, as evidenced for example by the feeling of failure and of losing one's youth, beauty and opportunities.
- ... However, some participants revealed that it was not a problem for their daily activities. This finding is comparable with Bauld & Brown (2009) who showed that difficulty in concentrating and loss of confidence often affect working life. Moreover, based on the research findings, forgetfulness was another psychological experience of menopause. ...... They talked freely with the researchers about the frustration they felt about their lives. Bauld & Brown (2009) found that psychological changes which resulted from menopause could lead to frustration, anxiety, irritability, mood swings and depression which often have an impact on personal relationships and the quality of life. ...
- ... In 2010, there were nearly 400 million women worldwide of menopausal age (45-54 years), and nearly 500 million women will be entering the menopause transition over the next 5 to 10 years (United States Census Bureau, 2010). Although many women transition through menopause with minimal discomfort, studies have shown that some women experience distress during the menopause transition (Alexander et al., 2007;Bauld & Brown 2009;Gold et al., 2004;Woods & Mitchell 2005). In addition, for some women, a decreased quality of life is an unfortunate consequence of distressful symptoms during the menopause transition (Avis et al., 2009;Blümel et al., 2011;Elavsky, 2009;Utian, 2005a). ...... The inscrutability of distress as a concept precludes the ease by which it can be defined, understood, and measured (Massé, 2000). Generally, research foci tend to reflect three aspects of distress during menopause: (a) the primary experience of distress—anxiety, irritability, angst, depression—often attributed to potential neuroendocrine changes in the brain (Finset, Overlie, & Holte, 2004;Freeman et al., 2007;Rubinow & Schmidt, 2003Steiner, Dunn, & Born, 2003;Woods, Carr, Tao, Taylor, & Mitchell, 2006); (b) a secondary response to the intensity and impact of empirically supported symptoms related to menopause, such as hot flashes, night sweats, and vaginal dryness (Avis, Crawford, Stellato, & Longcope, 2001;Brown, Gallicchio, Flaws, & Tracy, 2009;Guthrie, Dennerstein, Taffe, Lehert, & Burger, 2004); or (c) psychological states resulting from the emotional responses to menopause or aging (Lindh-A, Hoffmann, Hammar, & Kjellgren, 2007;Ogle & Damhorst, 2005), inability to cope with stressors (Bauld & Brown, 2009;Kafanelis, Kostanski, & Komesaroff, 2009), difficult life trajectories (Alexander et al., 2007), or innate personality traits that cause excessive stress reactions to midlife challenges (Bosworth, Bastian, Rimer, & Siegler, 2003;Kuh, Hardy, Rodgers, & Wadsworth, 2002). For the woman experiencing distress, the contextual background of her life will shape her experience (Strauss, 2011); yet this is nearly impossible to quantify through the use of instrumentation (Massé, 2000). ...In 2010, nearly 400 million women worldwide were of menopause age (45-54). Although many women transition through menopause with ease, some experience distress and a subsequent decrease in quality of life. The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine the experiences of distress in women during the menopause transition. A narrative analysis methodology was used maintaining participants’ complete narratives when possible. In-person interviews of 15 midlife women were digitally audio recorded and transcribed verbatim. Women shared narratives of distress related to menstrual changes, emotional instability, vaginal dryness, and decreased libido affected by their relationships with self, partners, work, and family. Some experiences were presented against a backdrop of the past and influenced by concerns for the future. Detailed stories illuminated the effect that distressful symptoms had on quality of life and captured how intricately woven symptoms were with the women’s interpersonal and social lives.
- ... Similarly, Callegari et al. (2007) found that 85% of the studied women were married. Th is was also in agreement with Bauld et al. (2009), who reported that 65% of women were married, 22.4% were divorced, 9.5% were single, and 2.6% were widowed. ...... Th is was in agreement with the study by Callegari et al. (2007)In the present study, 58% of perimenopausal women were working (14% were professionals such as lawyer, doctors, and teachers; 20% were employers; and 24% were manual workers). Th is was not in agreement with that in the study by Bauld et al. (2009), in which 95% of the women were working and only 5% were housewives. In this study the participants represent the community in which most of the middle educated and even the university graduate women have less chance for working, and many women are satisfi ed by their role in rearing their off spring's and doing their house chores. ...Background The perimenopause marks a major life transition for women, an end to the childbearing years and cessation of menses. Women frequently face a number of major life stressors during the years leading up to menopause. Aim This study aimed to explore the biopsychosocial aspects of perimenopause, to study the distribution of menopausal symptoms in an urban versus a rural community, and to study the psychosocial profile of women with psychiatric disorders during the perimenopausal period and their impact on quality of life to evaluate their attitude toward menopause and its relation to the psychiatric disorders, and to focus on the possible relationship between estradiol level and psychiatric disorders in perimenopausal women. Patients and methods This study enrolled 50 perimenopausal women and 20 premenopausal women as a control group. Tools of the study We used the following tools: Structured Clinical Interview of DSM-IV, Stressful Life Events Scale, the Arabic version of Greene Climacteric Scale and Menopausal Symptom Checklist, the Quality of Life Scale for Menopausal Women, Attitude Towards Menopause, the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale, the Sleep Questionnaire, and laboratory investigations including determination of follicle stimulating hormone serum level and serum estradiol level. Results In this study, the perimenopausal group had significantly ( P P Conclusion It is important to assess the psychosocial profile, women's attitude toward menopause, menopausal symptoms, and screening for psychiatric disorders for better quality of life and better outcome.
- ... Perceived stress has been associated to current emotional distress [35], later health alterations [19,20,36,37], and increased mortality [8]. Daily stress and stressful events produce psychological and organic symptoms that impair QoL [16,[38][39][40][41][42]. Moreover, stress appraisal and coping response may affect female health outcome and health-related QoL [7]. ...... Reports indicate that in menopausal women higher perceived stress is associated to unemployment, depressed mood and self-perception of poor health, all which may produce work and relationship interference [46,47]. Women with high emotional intelligence have less severe stress, psychological distress and menopausal symptoms and better health [42]. To the best of our knowledge studies concomitantly assessing perceived stress and insomnia during the menopausal transition are lacking, hence this may be the first to attempt to do so. ...Background Studies assessing perceived stress and insomnia in mid-aged women are scarce.Objective To assess perceived stress, insomnia and related factors in mid-aged Spanish women.Method This was a cross sectional study in which 235 women aged 40–65 completed the Menopause Rating Scale (MRS), the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), and a general socio-demographic questionnaire containing personal and partner data. Internal consistency of each tool was also computed.ResultsMedian [interquartile range] age of the sample was 52 [9.0] years. A 61.3% were postmenopausal, 49.4% had increased body mass index values, 43.8% were abdominally obese, 11.9% had hypertension, and 74.0% had a partner. In addition, 9.8% used hormone therapy and 12.3% psychotropic drugs. Multiple linear regression analysis found that higher PSS scores (more stress) inversely correlated with female age and positively with MRS psychological and urogenital scores (impaired quality of life in these domains), total higher ISI scores (more insomnia) and partner premature ejaculation. Higher ISI scores positively correlated with PSS and MRS somatic scores and partner unfaithfulness, and inversely with female hip circumference.Conclusion In this mid-aged Spanish sample perceived stress and insomnia were significantly correlated and related to various female and partner issues.
- ... Finally, interactions between EI and physical health and healthy behaviors [24][25][26] have been focused on young and middle aged adults. These findings indicate that higher EI is linked to better physical health; both subjectively and objectively reported [25][26]. ...Nowadays ageing in a healthy way is one of the greatest challenges of our era. There are several factors associated with the emotional functioning of an individual which are necessary for managing and regulating emotional life, such as perceiving and understanding emotions and being able to regulate them. Such abilities are well encompassed by the Emotional Intelligence (EI) construct. An impressive body of literature indicates that EI has a significant influence on psychological, social and physical health. However, to date, such evidence cannot be extended accurately to the older population as the vast majority of studies have been focused on samples composed of adolescents and young adults. Therefore the aim of the current review is to analyze what extent is linked to psychosocial and physical functioning among older people.
- ... Persons with EI usually have good psychological and physical health, because they have ability to adapt their selves with the challenges of their life, and therefore manage their emotions towards these challenges properly. Generally, many empirical studies have proved significant negative relationship between TEI and PD as well as between TEI and PD sub-dimensions (Bauld & Brown, 2009;Besharat, 2007). ...The study aimed to reveal levels of psychological distress and maladaptive perfectionism at the students of secondary stages in Kuwait schools, and to determine the relationship between those two factors under the effect of trait emotional intelligence. The study sample was composed of (255) students from six schools located in different areas in Kuwait city. A self- administered questionnaire was used as the study instrument for collecting data. It was found that both psychological distress and maladaptive perfectionism were found at medium level, whereas trait emotional intelligence was found at the high level, Moreover it was found that trait emotional intelligence as a mediator affects the psychological distress- maladaptive perfectionism relationship.
- ... Among the factors that influence QoL, sexuality should be regarded as a high-complexity factor. 6,7 Considering that a poor SF (characterized by a sexual dys- function) may negatively influence the QoL, and that the lack of knowledge limits the possibility of structuring specialized medical and psychological care for POI patients, this study aims to provide information about the aspects of sexuality that can influence different domains of QoL and how they are interrelated. ...Objective To evaluate the impact of sexual function (SF) in the quality of life (QoL) of women with premature ovarian insufficiency (POI). Methods Case-control study in which 80 women with POI were evaluated using estrogen plus progestogen therapy, compared with 80 women matched by age (±2 years) and presenting preserved gonadal function. Sexual function was evaluated using the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI), and the QoL was evaluated using the World Health Organization's (WHO) QoL assessment instrument (WHOQoL-BREF). Results The mean age of the women with POI and of the control group was 38.4 ± 7.3 years and 38.1 ± 7.3 years respectively. The QoL, was worse among the POI group, and there were significant differences in the physical (63.4 ± 17.4 and 72.7 ± 15.2 respectively, p = 0.0004) and psychological (63.2 ± 14.6 and 69.3 ± 13.9 respectively, p = 0.0075) domains among this group when compared with the control group. Women with POI presented significantly lower arousal, lubrication, orgasm and satisfaction, more dyspareunia and a worse FSFI scores when compared with the control group. All aspects of SF correlate directly with the worsening of the QoL regarding social relationships. Conclusion Women with POI showed worse QoL and SF than the control group. The psychological aspects (desire, excitement, orgasm and sexual satisfaction) of SF had greater influence on the parameters of the QoL, while the physical aspects (pain and lubrication) had a low impact on the QoL. The poor SF in women with POI is directly correlated with a worsening across multiple domains of the QoL; however, the negative impact is particularly important in the social domain. These results suggest that the improvement in sexuality can improve the social interactions of women with POI.
- ... Cessation of menstrual cycles at menopause is accompanied by decreased bone mass, increased risk of cardiovascular diseases, sleep disturbances, and reduced concentration and sexual desire (2). As these biological changes may coincide with considerable psychosocial events, menopause is described as a period of psychological difficulties (8). ...Menopause is described as a period of psychological difficulties that changes the lifestyle of women in multiple ways. Menopausal women require more information about their physical and psychosocial needs. Empowerment during the menopause can contribute to improving the perception of this stage and the importance of self-care. It is essential to increase women's awareness and adaptation to menopause, using empowerment programs. The aim of this study was to review the empowerment and coping strategies in menopause women. In this review, PubMed, EMBASE, ISI, and Iranian databases were scanned for relevant literature. A comprehensive search was performed, using the combinations of the keywords "empowerment, menopause, coping with" to review relevant literature and higher education journals. Most interventions for menopause women have focused on educational intervention, physical activity/exercise, healthy diet, stress management, healthy behaviors, preventing certain diseases and osteoporosis. Health education intervention strategy is one of the alternative strategies for improving women's attitudes and coping with menopause symptoms, identified as severalof the subcategories of health promotion programs. Empowerment of menopausal women will guarantee their health during the last third of their life. It will also help them benefit from their final years of reproductive life. The results of the present study can pave the way for future research about women's health promotion and empowerment.
- ... Finally, interactions between EI and physical health and healthy behaviors [24][25][26] have been focused on young and middle aged adults. These findings indicate that higher EI is linked to better physical health; both subjectively and objectively reported [25][26]. ...
- ... Las puntuaciones del DASS se calculan sumando los puntos obtenidos en la evaluación de los ítems de cada una de los dominios. Los ítems [3,5,10,13,16,17, 21,24,26,31,34,37,38,42] conforman el dominio depresión. Las preguntas [2,4,7,9, 15,19,20,23,25,28,30,36,40,41] se agrupan y forman el dominio ansiedad. ...Introduction: stress is defined as the set of processes and answers before situations that require adjustment bigger than the habitual thing. In the psychological stress, the individual does not believe to have control about the requests of the environment. It has been suggested that the transition to the menopause could be source of psychological stress for some women. Objective: to identify the available and validated scales that allow assessing the perception of psychological stress in climacteric women. Methods: search of articles and publications in databases Pubmed, Science-Direct, Scielo, Ebscohos and Virtual Health Library was carried out; the articles had to present psychometric scales to detect psychological stress. The key words used were found in the DeCS: Psychological stress, questionnaires, psychometry, studies of validation and menopause. Just like words found in the MeSH: stress psychological, questionnaires, psychometrics, validation studies and menopause. Results: 1480 titles were identified, all the abstracts were read and 320 articles about psychological stress were chosen. A second review allowed determining that 76 were relevant with the objective of the review, 51 of them were obtained as complete articles. Conclusion: the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), in their three versions, is one of the most efficient and used tools to measure psychological stress, it has satisfactory internal consistency in studies carried out in different population groups. Equal it happens with DASS in their two versions. The DASS and PSS scales have been used in the menopause; they are useful tools to assess psychological stress in women in the climacteric. Rev.cienc.biomed. 2013;4(2):318-326
- ... 8 Some women cope well with their menopausal symptoms and seem to embrace this time of change, while others struggle psychologically to adjust to the changes in their body and body function. 9 Culture has been shown to greatly influence women's perception of menopausal symptoms and is in turn underpinned by the value placed on fertility, sexuality and role within society. 10 In traditional cultures, there is often a positive attitude towards menopause as women acquired certain privileges such as the 'wise woman status' and freedom from periods and pregnancy. ...The menopause presents many challenges for middle-aged women worldwide, often highly productive women who are in the prime of their lives juggling busy careers and family responsibilities, when good quality of life and functional ability is an imperative. Some women cope well with their menopausal symptoms and seem to embrace this time of change, while others struggle psychologically to adjust to the changes. Mindfulness-based interventions have a robust evidence base in relation to their efficacy in both physical and psychological conditions. Both programs have been adapted for conditions where difficulties in psychological adjustment to change and/or loss are amongst the core mechanisms that maintain distress. I explored the potential aetiology of distress in the menopause and evaluated existing empirical literature to ascertain whether there is a role for mindfulness-based interventions to facilitate optimal psychological adjustment to changes in the menopause, paying particular attention to the mechanisms that lend themselves to mindfulness training being efficacious. Current available evidence is promising and supports the hypothesis that mindfulness-based interventions may have a role in facilitating psychological adjustment during the menopause transition. The dearth of literature specific to mindfulness-based interventions and the menopause was noted.
- ... Sin embargo, otras investigaciones han hallado que las mujeres presentan un mayor grado de empatía, asertividad y conducta prosocial, habilidades que se han relacionado con la capacidad de ayudar a los demás (Inglés et al., 2008 Matthews et al, 2006; Rogers, Qualter, Phelps y Gardner, 2006) y más a la emoción (Kulikowska y Pokorski, 2008). Por lo tanto, las personas con niveles bajos de EIP tienen dificultades en el manejo de estrategias compensatorias, lo cual supone el aumento de la probabilidad de obtener un resultado negativo en los intentos de resolución de conflictos sociales (Christopher y Thomas, 2009), culpabilidad y aparición de conductas autolesivas que se emplean para reducir las emociones negativas (Mikolajczak, Petrides y Hurry, 2009; Kulikowska y Pokorski, 2008), conductas inadecuadas (Downey et al., 2010) y una actitud negativa hacia los síntomas físicos (p.ej.: en la menopausia), repercutiendo en su salud física y mental (Bauld y Brown, 2009; Killgore et al, 2008). Igualmente, existe una relación directa entre IEP y estrategias de afrontamiento al estrés laboral cuando dicho trabajo implica una demanda emocional intensa, repercutiendo en el desempeño y rendimiento laboral (López-Curbelo, Acosta-Pérez, García-García y Fumero, 2006; Montes-Berges y Augusto, 2007). ...
- ... were married or in a de facto relationship (65%), 9.5% single/never married, 22.4% divorced/separated or 2.6% widowed. 46% women worked fulltime. Nearly half (45%) had a university or college degree. Most women indicated they were peri-menopausal (39%) or menopausal (25%), with the remainder being naturally (30%) or surgically (6%) post-menopausal. [24] similarly Dasgupta and Ray the mean age of the participants for both rural and urban areas was 53.9 ± 4.37 and 51.39 ± 4.6 years, respectively and more than half of the urban women were employed and that an overwhelming majority of the rural women were homemakers. [25] On menopausal rating scale, the most common menopausal symptoms for ...
- ... Recent studies highlight that the menopausal transition is a bio-psycho-social and cultural process [18]. While a number of psychological factors, including anxiety, stress, thoughts and beliefs, self-esteem and body/emotional awareness have been demonstrated to influence the experience of perimeno- pause192021222324, this topic of study is still not highly developed. As such, the present study aims to investigate the role of certain personality traits in explaining the diversity in women's experiences of perimenopause. ...Objective: The hormonal changes that occur in perimenopause can result in distress for a significant proportion of women years before reaching menopause. Previous studies have suggested that various biopsychosocial characteristics and personality traits contribute to more intense reactions to these hormonal changes. In the present study, we examined the contribution of trait anxiety and anxiety sensitivity in predicting the experience of perimenopausal distress in pre- and early perimenopausal women while controlling for some menstrual experiences.Method: A sample of 660 women aged 35–52 years was selected from a broader online survey of biopsychosocial changes in middle-aged women that considered age, menstrual cycle pattern, physical and mental health, and childbearing experience. Three hierarchical multiple regression analyses were conducted for different age subgroups: women aged 35–40, women aged 41–45 and women aged 46–52.Results: Results indicated that anxiety and anxiety sensitivity, along with a number of features of the menstrual experience, explained 56–66% of the perimenopausal distress variance. Different personality trait predictors were found to be important in different age subgroups. In the youngest and middle subgroups (45 years and younger), trait anxiety was found to be more significant, whereas anxiety sensitivity was found to be more important in explaining perimenopausal distress experienced by women older than 40.Conclusion: Anxiety sensitivity (dimension of psychological concerns) might be an important vulnerability factor in the experience of perimenopausal distress among women closer to menopause, whereas the predisposition to an anxiety response might contribute to perimenopausal distress near the beginning of reproductive hormonal changes. Implications for better understanding the development of perimenopausal distress and psychological intervention are discussed.
- ... Social support has been identified as a mediator between menopausal symptoms and depression. 62 Tangible support and emotional support are important com- ponents of the support system and help women to cope with menopausal symptoms. Women who have support have more positive attitudes toward menopause and experience less severe stress, psychological distress, menopausal symptoms, and better physical health. ...Objective: To determine factors associated with different symptom domains among postmenopausal Saudi women in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Methods: In a cross-sectional study, interviews were conducted with 542 postmenopausal Saudi women, comprising sociodemographic history, social support, and the Menopause-specific Quality of Life questionnaire. Results: The mean age of participants was 58 (±7.0) years, and the mean age at menopause was 49 (±4.7) years. We found that 41% (n = 224), 14.4% (n = 78), 57% (n = 307), and 12.7% (n = 69) of women reported severe/moderate impact of vasomotor, psychosocial, physical, and sexual symptoms, respectively. Multivariate logistic regression revealed that lacking emotional support was associated with severe/moderate vasomotor (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 1.5, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.1, 2.3), psychosocial (aOR 2.0, 95% CI 1.2, 3.4), and physical (aOR 1.7, 95% CI 1.2, 2.6) symptoms. Lack of tangible social support was associated with severe/moderate sexual symptoms (aOR 1.9, 95% CI 1.0, 3.4). In addition, women who worked (aOR 1.8, 95% CI 1.1, 3.2), were obese (aOR 2.0, 95% CI 1.0, 4.1), lived in rented accommodations (aOR 3.9, 95% CI 1.2, 13.1), or had a retired spouse (aOR 1.6, 95% CI 1.0, 2.4) had higher odds for moderate/severe menopausal symptoms. Conclusions: Establishing educational and counseling programs for postmenopausal women, their spouses, and other family members could improve social support and hence quality of life of postmenopausal women. Effective preventive strategies to deal with modifiable risk factors, such as obesity and work stress, should also be implemented.
- ... This may suggest that environment may play a role in prevalence of menopausal symptoms. [11,24,25] Previous reports have indicated that African women complained more of vasomotor symptoms. [14] The respondents in the present study complained more of body and joint pains. ...
- ... Therefore, they feel menopausal symptoms with less intensity and their quality of life improves. 42] The training classes on menopausal issues, through making a protectionist environment, increases women's sense of responsibility toward their own welfare and, in this way, affect their quality of life. [34] In this study, access to financial resources was another enabling factor, and about 40% of women reported lack of access to financial resources as a reason for not using health services. ...Various studies have shown that quality of life in women after menopause undergoes radical changes. Several factors such as psycho-social factors are associated with the quality of life during menopausal period. The present study surveyed the factors associated with quality of life of postmenopausal women in Isfahan, based on Behavioral Analysis Phase of PRECEDE model. This cross-sectional study was conducted through stratified random sampling among 200 healthy postmenopausal women in Isfahan in 2011. Data were collected by two valid and reliable questionnaires (one to assess the quality of life and the other to survey the factors associated with the Behavioral Analysis Phase of PRECEDE model). Data analysis was performed using SPSS software (version 18) and analytical and descriptive statistics. Pearson correlation indicated a positive and significant correlation between the quality of life and attitude toward menopause, perceived self-efficacy, and enabling and reinforcing factors, but there was no significant relationship between the quality of life and knowledge about menopause. Also, the quality of life in postmenopausal women had significant correlation with their age, education level, marital status, and employment status. Based on the present study, attitude, perceived self-efficacy, perceived social support, and enabling factors are associated with the quality of life in postmenopausal women. So, attention to these issues is essential for better health planning of women.
- ... According to epidemiological surveys, when perplexed by menorrhagia and/or dysmenorrhea, premenstrual tension and other gynecological symptoms, nearly half of premenopausal women are so much affected physically and psychologically by the diseases that they would feel nervous, depressed, annoyed and distressed, and may have psychiatric symptoms such as irritability, crying, anxiety, depression, etc. These diseases can considerably affect the quality of life and living conditions of the patients, and may even lead to social dysfunction [9,10]. Hysterectomy is the primary treatment method for these diseases [11]. ...
- Psychological disorders are commonly associated with gynecological conditions, but are frequently undetected and untreated, and may influence the presentation and treatment outcomes of the physical condition. A literature search was conducted in order to provide a narrative review of psychological aspects of menopause, premenstrual syndrome, premenstrual dysphoric disorder, chronic pelvic pain, incontinence and polycystic ovarian syndrome. All the conditions that have been addressed in this review can be associated with an increased risk of psychological symptoms and disorders. Anxiety and depression are common and are associated with significant morbidity. Gynecological conditions, by their nature, are likely to be accompanied by impairments in social, occupational and personal functioning. Greater emphasis should be placed on the mental health aspects of gynecological conditions.
- Objectives : We investigated if korean traditional treatment and psychotherapy is effective in patients with depression and menopausal symptoms. Methods : We treated two patients with typical korean traditional medical treatment( Acupuncture, Giungoroen therapy(至言高論療法), Moxibustion ) and progressive muscle relaxation. Results : After treatment, the chief complaint and accompanying symptoms were subsided and improved. BDI score and Kupperman's index were decreased. Conclusions : We may conclude that korean traditional treatment and psychotherapy is effective in patients with depression and menopausal symptoms.
- Objective: To determine factors related to menopause symptoms among middle-aged registered nurses in Beijing. Methods: Self-administered questionnaires that included closed-ended questions on many factors possibly related to menopausal symptoms were distributed to 2100 registered nurses aged 40-55 at 20 hospitals in Beijing, China. Results: Menopausal status was most associated with menopausal symptoms (p < 0.01), including hot flashes and sweating, paresthesiae, insomnia, arthralgia/myalgia, palpitations, skin formication and an unsatisfactory sexual life. The odds ratios (ORs) were highest for hot flashes and sweating. Upsetting events in the past year and being pessimistic were significantly inversely correlated with almost all the symptoms analyzed. Hot flashes and sweating (p < 0.01), paresthesiae (p < 0.01), unsatisfactory sexual life (p < 0.01), irritability (p < 0.05), depression or suspicion (p < 0.05) and dizziness (p < 0.05) were negatively correlated with the frequency of sexual activity. Conclusion: Many factors may influence symptoms of the menopause. We found that menopausal status was most strongly associated with most menopausal symptoms, especially hot flashes and sweating. Psychosocial factors also played an important role. A higher frequency of sexual activity negatively correlated with most menopausal symptoms.
- Objective: Analyze the variables that favor women's adaptation to menopause, such as self-concept, self-esteem and perceived family support as the factors that predict satisfaction with life during perimenopause and postmenopause, and to identify differences among groups. Materials and methods: The sample was non-probabilistic and included a total of 404 women, separated into two groups: Group I (perimenopause) and Group II (postmenopause). The following scales were applied: (1) Satisfaction with Life (SELS), (2) the Valdez Self-Concept Scale, (3) Self-Esteem Scale - IGA, (4) perceived social support (SSP-Fa) and socio-demographic data. Results: It was found that self-esteem, perceived family support and the expressive-affective dimension of self-concept predict life satisfaction in 40.3% (R2 = 0,403 p < 0,005), with no difference between the two groups. Conclusions: The aforementioned variables are positively present in these groups of women and should be considered as mental health strengths for comprehensive nursing care during this stage of life.
- Background Perimenopause is associated with increased depression symptoms in women. Symptoms at this time are thought to be qualitatively different from those in childbearing years, and to present with milder symptoms of depression, increased agitation, and fatigue. This research aimed to determine whether depressive symptoms during perimenopause can be distinguished from those in the childbearing years. Methods Seventy-four depressed women who were either perimenopausal (n = 40) or in their childbearing years (n = 34) were recruited (M = 40.11; SD = 11 years). Participants completed a series of questionnaires relating to depression (Beck Depression Inventory-II), various mood states (Profile of Mood States), and changes in sleep patterns. ResultsUnivariate relationships between symptoms and perimenopausal status were assessed. All significant variables (anger-hostility, depression, tension-anxiety, fatigue-inertia, and changes in sleep quality) were analysed via logistic regression. Mood profile at these two different life stages were differentiated based on lower levels of depression symptoms and tension-anxiety, and increased levels of anger-hostility, fatigue-inertia, and sleep disturbance in the perimenopausal women as compared with the childbearing group. Conclusions This research supports the unique presentation of perimenopausal depression. The identification of a unique symptomatic profile provides targets for intervention and allows for different treatment options.
- Postmenopausal women, despite their increased cardiovascular risk, do not meet physical activity recommendations. Outdoor exercise bouts induce more positive affective responses than the same indoor exercise. Outdoor training could therefore increase exercise adherence. This study aims to compare the long-term effects of outdoor and indoor training on affective outcomes and adherence to exercise training in postmenopausal women. In a 12-week randomized trial, 23 healthy (body mass index, 22-29 kg/m) postmenopausal women (aged 52-69 y) were assigned to either outdoor training or indoor training and performed three weekly 1-hour sessions of identical aerobic and resistance training. Adherence, affective valence (Feeling Scale), affective states (Exercise-Induced Feeling Inventory), and rating of perceived exertion were measured during exercise sessions, whereas depression symptoms (Beck Depression Inventory) and physical activity level (Physical Activity Scale for the Elderly) were assessed before and after the intervention. After 12 weeks of training, exercise-induced changes in affective valence were higher for the outdoor training group (P ≤ 0.05). A significant group-by-time interaction was found for postexercise tranquility (P ≤ 0.01), with a significant increase outdoors and a significant decrease indoors (both P ≤ 0.05). A time effect was revealed for positive engagement, which decreased across time in the indoor group (P ≤ 0.05). Adherence to training (97% vs 91%) was significantly higher outdoors (P ≤ 0.01). Between baseline and week 12, depression symptoms decreased and physical activity level increased only for the outdoor group (P ≤ 0.01 and P ≤ 0.05, respectively). Outdoor training enhances affective responses to exercise and leads to greater exercise adherence than indoor training in postmenopausal women.
- Inviting husbands to come to terms with women’s adaptation to the phenomenon of menopause is beneficial. The aim of this research was to uncover the effect of couples education on marital satisfaction. This study was performed on 80 menopausal women accompanied by their husbands. The intervention group received four sessions of couples education. The results showed that the mean increase in the rate of marital satisfaction after couples education in the intervention group was significantly higher than the control. Short-term couples education has a significant positive effect on marital satisfaction. Therefore, this counseling strategy can be integrated into health-care programs.
- Adaptation of the revised schutte emotional intelligence scale into Turkish and examination of its psychometric properties Objective: Although emotional intelligence is not a new term, as a conceptual framework it is relatively new and the tools to measure (tare rather few, a situation that is also reflected in Turkish literature. Therefore, in this study we aimed to adapt the Schutte Emotional Intelligence Scale, developed by Schutte, Malouff, Hall, Haggerty, Cooper, Golden, Dornheim, (1998) (33 item) and revised by Austin, Saklofske, Huang, McKenney, (2004) (41 item), into Turkish. Method: After the translation of the scale into Turkish, 1022 females (58.6%) and 721 males (41.4%), a total of 1743 subjects, ranging in age from 17 to 78 years, completed the Schutte Emotional Intelligence Scale. Results: The examination of the three-factor structure of the scale by explanatory and confirmatory factor analyses showed that the results were consistent with those reported by Austin et al. (2004). The Cronbach-Alfa internal consistency coefficient for the entire scale was 0.82 and for the subscales was 0.75, 0.39 and 0.76. Test- retest reliability for the entire scale within one week was found to be r=0.49 (n=88), and within two weeks it was r=0.56 (n=85). To examine the scale's discriminant validity, the Five Factor Personality Inventory was administered to 100 subjects in addition to the Emotional Intelligence Scale. The results indicated that there were significant correlations between the Schutte Emotional Intelligence Scale and the personality traits ranging from -0.29 to 0.34. Emotional intelligence scores for the entire scale were compared in terms of gender, age, and educational levels. The results showed that females had significantly higher emotional intelligence scores than males and as the level of education increased so too did the scores of emotional intelligence. Conclusion:The results indicate that the Schutte Emotional Intelligence scale can be a reliable and valid instrument to be used for the Turkish population. However, further studies are needed to examine the factor structure of the scale.
- The aim of this study was to elucidate the relationship between menopausal symptoms and personality traits. 212 Polish women were administered the Big Five Factor personal inventory. Participants also completed the Polish version of the Menopause Symptom List. I found that personality traits correlated with symptoms of menopause. Neuroticism showed the strongest correlation with the frequency of psychological symptoms of menopause (r = .46, p = .000) and their intensity (r = .45, p = .000). The remaining personality traits demonstrated a negative correlation with menopausal symptoms. No correlation was found between openness to experience and the frequency of vasomotor (r = −.07, p = .268) and somatic (r = −.12, p = .059) symptoms, as well as intensity of vasomotor symptoms of menopause (r = −.10, p = .144). Openness to experience did not differentiate the sample in the frequency of experienced vasomotor symptoms of menopause (p = 0.205). Neuroticism was a significant predictor of the frequency of psychological (β = .486, p = .000), vasomotor (β = .342, p = .000) and somatic (β = .366, p = .000) symptoms, as well as intensity of psychological (β = .470, p = .000), vasomotor (β = .250, p = .008) and somatic (β = .287, p = .001) symptoms of menopause. This study provides further data on the association between menopausal symptoms and personality traits. Neuroticism is shown to be a significant predictor of the frequency and intensity of psychological, vasomotor and somatic symptoms of menopause.
- Purpose: Some women experience symptoms during the menopause transition that lead to consequent distress. This study explored the experience of distress for women during the menopausal transition. Research Questions: From the perspective of the woman during the menopause transition, what is the essential experience of distress? How do women describe the relationship between aging and menopause? Significance/Background: A decreased quality of life is a consequence of distressful menopausal symptoms. Many risk factors for distress during menopause have been explored with some reinforcing negative stereotyping. Methods: Postmodern feminist theory and narrative analysis methodology were used to facilitate the understanding of how each woman defined distress and how this reflected the shared meanings imbedded in American society. Interviews of 17 women were digitally recorded and transcribed verbatim. Data were re-transcribed into narratives and poetic structures. Findings: The women experienced a range of distressing symptoms. Themes of silence, shame, and stigma related to aging and menopause were identified. Contradicting social discourses and the specific context of each individual's life were found to greatly impact experiences of distress. Conclusion: Some women may be experiencing symptoms with a potential for distress and decreased quality of life. It is imperative that we understand the meaning and context imbedded in the women's experiences. Efforts need to be made to decrease the isolation and stigma associated with menopause and aging women.
- The purpose of this study was to understand what peri-menopausal women know in order to enhance perimenopausal management.
- Introduction: Menopause is one of the most critical periods in women's life and the symptoms may be experience is the challenges of care health. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between the symptoms of menopause and the level of anxiety and depression during the period of approaching menopause. Methods: In this analytical cross sectional study, 100 women aged 45-60 years were selected by cluster sampling method in Gonabad, Iran, 2003. The women were living with their spouses and did not have any serious difficulties at home. They did not have any suspected or confirmed pregnancy, and were not taking oral contraceptives or using any kind of hormone replacement therapy. Cases did not have a surgical history of hysterectomy or oophorectomy; and moreover, they did not have a history of any mental illnesses or chronic physical diseases. The tools used in this study included demographic questionnaire, the Beck depression scale, the Spielberger anxiety scale and the modified Copper man index. In data collecting process, demographic data form, Beck depression scale, Spielberger anxiety scale and Copper man index were completed respectively. Data were analyzed using SPSS software version 16, ANOVA and correlation tests. P value less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: The Pearson correlation test showed that there was no significant difference between severity of symptoms of menopause and depression score (p=0.125) and anxiety (p=0.75). Anxiety has a statistical difference in the different levels of “insomnia” (p=0.043) and the highest mean of anxiety was present in the severe level of insomnia. Conclusion: There is no relation between the symptoms of menopause and anxiety and depression, but studies conducted in other countries indicated a relationship between the symptoms of menopause, anxiety and depression. The difference may be due to cultural differences and women's attitudes toward menopause.
- Humor includes cognitive and emotional experience. This study aimed to examine the relationships between cognitive intelligence, emotional intelligence, and humor styles. The sample of the study consisted of 319 undergraduate students. The humor styles questionnaire, The Revised Schutte Emotional Intelligence, and Raven Standard Progressive Matrices Test Plus were used to obtain the data. The results indicated that emotional intelligence is positively correlated with adaptive humor styles. Cognitive intelligence had no statistically significant relationship with humor styles except affiliative humor style. Additionally, it was found that emotional intelligence predicted both affiliative and self-enhancing humor. The results were discussed in the light of the relationships between humor styles, emotional intelligence, and cognitive intelligence. © 2015 IOJES. All rights reserved
- Objective: Analyze the variables that favor women’s adaptation to menopause, such as self-concept, self-esteem and perceived family support as the factors that predict satisfaction with life during perimenopause and postmenopause, and to identify differences among groups. Materials and methods: The sample was non-probabilistic and included a total of 404 women, separated into two groups: GroupI (perimenopause) and Group II (postmenopause). The following scales were applied: (1) Satisfaction with Life (SELS), (2) the Valdez Self-Concept Scale, (3) Self-Esteem Scale - IGA, (4) perceived social support (SSP-Fa) and socio-demographic data. Results: It was found that self-esteem, perceived family support and the expressive-affective dimension of self-concept predict life satisfaction in 40.3% (R2 = 0,403 p < 0,005), with no difference between the two groups. Conclusions: The aforementioned variables are positively present in these groups of women and should be considered as mental health strengths for comprehensive nursing care during this stage of life.
- Objective: Analyze the variables that favor women’s adaptation to menopause, such as self-concept, self esteem and perceived family support as the factors that predict satisfaction with life during perimenopause and postmenopause, and to identify differences among groups. Materials and methods: The sample was non-probabilistic and included a total of 404 women, separated into two groups: GroupI (perimenopause) and Group II (postmenopause). The following scales were applied: (1) Satisfaction with Life (SELS), (2) the Valdez Self-Concept Scale, (3) Self-Esteem Scale - IGA, (4) perceived social support (SSP-Fa) and socio-demographic data. Results: It was found that self-esteem, perceived family support and the expressive-affective dimension of self-concept predict life satisfaction in 40.3% (R2 = 0,403 p < 0,005), with no difference between the two groups. Conclusions: The aforementioned variables are positively present in these groups of women and should be considered as mental health strengths for comprehensive nursing care during this stage of life.
- This volume provides a comprehensive, up-to-date theoretical and empirical background to the psychology of reproductive health. Provides a life span perspective of the psychology of reproductive health and its disorders, from menarche to menopause and reproductive health in older age. Focuses on issues of the individual's reproductive health experience, including reproduction, pregnancy, maternity, and birth, as well as conditions such as PMDD, dysmenorrhea, and events including pregnancy failure, and abortion. Acknowledges the wider social context with discussions of poverty, inequality, educational and economic status, age, and urban versus rural access. Addresses life style related factors, human rights to choice, information and access, fertility control and reproductive health regulation and health care services. Illustrates topics with empirical data supported with tables and figures.
- Objectives: This cross-sectional study aimed to explore the relationship between menopause status and attitude toward menopause, and also its relationship with quality of life (QoL) of Chinese midlife women in Hong Kong. Methods: Hong Kong Chinese women aged 40 to 59 years were recruited through computer-generated random telephone dialing. Information was obtained through telephone interviews based on a structured questionnaire. Women were classified into 3 groups: premenopausal, perimenopausal, and postmenopausal. Menopause Belief Scale and Utian Quality of Life Scale (QoL) were used to measure respondents' attitude toward menopause and their QoL. Information on social, health, and lifestyle factors was also collected. Results: The mean age of the participants was 49.4 ± 5.2 years. Respondents generally had a positive attitude toward menopause. Compared with premenopausal women, postmenopausal women were noted to have significantly higher attitude score toward menopause. No significant differences in QoL score were noted among women of the 3 menopause statuses. Stepwise regression analysis showed that women with more positive attitude toward menopause tended to have higher QoL score. Furthermore, better self-reported health status, doing physical activities, higher education level, being married, and non-smoking status were associated with better QoL. Conclusions: Postmenopausal women tended to have more positive attitude toward menopause. Although menopause status did not seem to be associated with QoL, attitude toward menopause, self-reported health status, as well as social and lifestyle factors were associated with QoL in Chinese midlife women.
- In the past 20 years a large number of studies have been made in order to investigate what is associated with the severity of perimenopausal symptoms and large interindividual differences in their manifestation. Apart from studies of the biological determinants of perimenopausal symptoms, they have also examined the contribution of various psychosocial factors in their occurrence and severity. Although menopausal symptoms are primarily considered to be a result of the sometimes intense hormonal fluctuations that are experienced during perimenopause, this does not necessarily exclude the role of psychosocial factors such as demographic characteristics, cultural or ethnic background, attitudes toward menopause, specific lifestyles and habits, specific previous life experiences and personality traits. A review of recent research findings and contributions of these psychosocial factors in the development of perimenopausal symptoms engaged will be presented in this work. Studies have clearly shown that certain psychosocial factors contribute to the occurrence and severity of symptoms or increased risk for perimenopausal symptoms, including the risk for major disturbances, such as clinical depression.
- Menopausal transition is highly symptomatic in at least 20% of women. A higher prevalence of psychiatric symptoms, including depression, anxiety, and sleep disturbance, has been shown in women with symptomatic menopausal transition. However, a clear correlation between symptomatic menopausal transition and psychiatric disorders has not been established. We explored the association between symptomatic menopausal transition and subsequent newly diagnosed psychiatric disorders, including schizophrenia as well as bipolar, depressive, anxiety, and sleep disorders. We investigated women who were diagnosed with symptomatic menopausal transition by an obstetrician-gynecologist according to the data in the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database. A comparison cohort comprised age-matched women without symptomatic menopausal transition. The incidence rate and the hazard ratios of subsequent newly diagnosed psychiatric disorders were evaluated in both cohorts, based on the diagnoses of psychiatrists. The symptomatic menopausal transition and control cohorts each consisted of 19,028 women. The incidences of bipolar disorders (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.69, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.01–2.80), depressive disorders (HR = 2.17, 95% CI = 1.93–2.45), anxiety disorders (HR = 2.11, 95% CI = 1.84–2.41), and sleep disorders (HR = 2.01, 95% CI = 1.73–2.34) were higher among the symptomatic menopausal transition women than in the comparison cohort. After stratifying for follow-up duration, the incidence of newly diagnosed bipolar disorders, depressive disorders, anxiety disorders, and sleep disorders following a diagnosis of symptomatic menopausal transition remained significantly increased in the longer follow-up groups (1–5 and ≥ 5 years). Symptomatic menopausal transition might increase the risk of subsequent newly onset bipolar disorders, depressive disorders, anxiety disorders, and sleep disorders. A prospective study is necessary to confirm these findings.
- Objective: Middle age period brings about particular difficulties for some women, because of the physiological and psychological changes. The physiological changes occuring in this period is called andropause for males and menopause for females. While it starts about 40-50 years of age in general, it might be at an earlier stage of life for some women which is called premature menopause, indicating the climacterium. The main aim of this study is to compare two groups of women with premature menopause and normal menopause in terms of stress reactions, ways of coping, marital adjustment, and sex roles. Method: Data were collected from a total of 224 women, 82 of which had premature menopause (under age 40), and 142 had normal menopause (above age 40). The participants were given Demographic Information Form (DIF), Stress Reactions Scale (SRS), Ways of Coping Inventory (WCI), Marital Adjustment Scale (MAS), and Bem Sex Roles Inventory (BSRI) to obtain data. Results: The t-test analysis has revealed that the premature menopause group had higher scores in stress reactions, lower scores in self confident and optimistic ways of coping with stress, and lower scores in marital adjustment, compared to the normal menopause group. The predictive variables for both groups were found to be "degree of agreement in marriage", "helpless style", and "searching for social support" by regression analysis. The "masculine sex role" was the predictor of only the premature menopause group. Discussion: When we review the related literature, we see that most of the studies are about women who entered menopause around 40 years of age and the problems they face in the process. There is very little research on women who enter menopause earlier (premature menopause). For this reason, it is felt that the current study will add to our knowledge on the premature manapause phenomenon, which challenges women physically and psychologically. We feel it is important to raise awareness in women on the issue in order to prevent and alleviate stress-related problems. We also feel the results of the study might be important in the areas of psychotheraphy and psychological counselling. For example during psychological counselling or psychotheraphy for premature menopause, it might be important to measure the sex roles, marital satisfaction levels and the levels of satisfaction of these women with their close interpersonal relationships, and try to design interventions accordingly. Additionally it might be helpful to teach new coping strategies to manage their stress levels.
- Objective: This cross-cultural study aimed to compare climacteric symptoms, self-esteem, and perceived social support between Mosuo and Han Chinese women, and to explore the interaction between culture and climacteric symptoms. Mosuo is a Chinese minority group with a matriarchal structure, and Han Chinese is the majority ethnic group in China with a patriarchal structure. Methods: Through convenience sampling, 54 Mosuo women and 52 Han Chinese women between 40 and 60 years of age completed the sociodemographic questionnaire, the Menopause Rating Scale, the Self-Esteem Scale, and the Perceived Social Support Scale. Results: Compared with Han Chinese women, Mosuo women scored lower on the psychological (P < 0.001) and the somato-vegetative (P = 0.047) subscales of the Menopause Rating Scale, but higher on the Self-Esteem Scale (P = 0.006) and the "support from family" subscale of the Perceived Social Support Scale (P = 0.004). Multiple linear regressions indicated that minority ethnicity (β = 0.207, P = 0.016) was one of the predictive variables of psychological symptoms severity. Referring to the severity of all symptoms, predictive variables were: perceived support from family (β = -0.210, P = 0.017); self-esteem (β = 0.320, P < 0.001); previous history of premenstrual syndrome (β = 0.293, P < 0.001); number of family members (β = -0.229, P = 0.003); and family income (β = -0.173, P = 0.028). Conclusions: Differences in climacteric symptoms were found between two groups. Cultural variables such as familial structure, women's self-esteem, and perceived social support were correlated with symptomatology.
- Introduction Menopause is a natural event in a woman’s life which affects her general health and quality of life. However, currently there is no Persian instrument for measuring health status during this period. Therefore, the present study was performed to assess the validity and reliability of the Persian version of the Menopausal Health Questionnaire in Iran. Methods The questionnaire was translated to Persian with the approach of Jones et al and its validity was assessed by a panel of experts. The Persian version was tested among 300 patients who had referred to the gynecological clinic at the Ali ibn Abi Talib Hospital in Zahedan. Convenience method was used for sampling. Exploratory factor analysis was used to assess construct validity of collected data. Test-retest method was used to determine reliability in two-week intervals and Cronbach’s alpha coefficient was used to check the internal consistency. Results According to research findings, the exploratory factor analysis showed an acceptable fitness. Varimax rotation indicated 6 factors with Eagan values more than 1, which explained 49.27% of the variance. Cronbach’s alpha coefficient for the entire tool was 0.84 and it was from 0.50 to 0.82 for the subcategories. All factors had a significant case-total correlation. Results of test-retest showed the stability of the questionnaire and its subcategories, and the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) was assessed to be 0.93. Conclusions The 14-item Menopausal Health Questionnaire is a valid and reliable instrument to assess postmenopausal women’s health.
- The Menopause and HealthDefinitionCauses of Menopausal Distress / DiscomfortEpidemiologyScreening / AssessmentTheories / ModelsProcesses and Factors Affecting the ProblemTreatment / ManagementGuidelinesSummaryReferences
- Physical activity (PA) is a promoter of health in general. Its benefits include maintaining proper weight, providing stress relief, increasing muscle strength, improving balance and coordination, increasing bone strength, and increasing mental focus. In addition, PA improves the evolution of diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, osteoporosis, and dementia. We can infer that PA is more than a lifestyle; it constitutes a form of therapy in itself. The aim of this chapter is to analyse the perimenopausal and postmenopausal impact of healthy PA, to determine the PA-associated improvements in the symptoms and processes that emerge during this period, and to identify the optimal PA recommendations for those purposes.
- Although emotional intelligence (EI) and social support are important predictors of well-being in adolescents and adults, there has been little research on their combined effects on well-being in older people. From a developmental perspective, it would be premature to assume similar models for EI, social support and well-being for older adults as were established for adolescents and adults. This study investigated sources of perceived social support as potential mediators of the relationship between EI and well-being indicators (life satisfaction and happiness) in older people. A Spanish sample of 383 older people aged 55 years and older completed a self-report survey regarding perceived emotional intelligence, perceived social support, life satisfaction, and subjective happiness. We found EI scores to be moderately and significantly related to different sources of perceived social support, life satisfaction and subjective happiness measures. Using path analyses, results showed that perceived social support from both family members and friends partially mediated the relationships between EI scores and life satisfaction and happiness (only for social support from friends). That is, emotionally intelligent older people reported higher level of perceived support from friends and family which resulted in higher well-being indicators. These findings suggest that EI may play a role in the well-being of older people with the benefit depending on the sources of perceived social support.
- Clinically speaking menopause is a date; for those women who still have a uterus, menopause is defined as the day after a woman's final period finishes. This date is fixed retrospectively, once twelve months have gone by with no menstrual flow at all, at this point a woman is considered to be a year into post menopause and infertile. Aim of the present research paper is to explore the difference between stress and wellbeing of menopausal and post-menopausal working and non-working women. For this purpose the sample of 120 women (30 menopausal working, 30 menopausal non-working, 30 post-menopausal working and 30 post-menopausal non-working) were select- ed through purposive method of sampling. "Perceived stress scale-10" and "PGI General Well Being Questionnaire" was administered in order to measure the stress and well-being of the sample. The results overall indicate compara- tively better well-being and low stress levels in working menopausal as well as post-menopausal women. Middle age is one of the turning points in one's life as it brings along many changes. It roughly starts in the early 40s, when for most of the people; it is the best period in their life when their achievements are at the highest point. In this regard, Mitchell (1971) stated that midway be- tween the challenges of adulthood and despair of old age, comes the change menopause in women and during which lives take a compulsory change of direction. Menopause is derived from Latin words meno (month) and pausia (halt), and essentially marks the end of a woman's period of natural fertility. Bavadam (1999) stated that it is not merely the end of menstruation but also is an inevita- ble part of aging. The exact age of menopause varies from population to population but generally the spread is from late 30s to 50s. Studies done in various regions of India by Indira (1979) and Kaw et.al. (1994) report the age of meno- pause ranging from 40 to 50 years. The meaning of the word menopause in more recent times has been expanded to indicate the permanent but naturally occurring discon- tinuation of female fertility.
- A semantic differential instrument that measures adult women's attitudes toward menopause was constructed and validated. A volunteer sample of 504 women, 18 years or older, completed the pilot instrument of 45 bipolar adjective scales. A principal components factor analysis revealed 20 scales that loaded on one dominant factor; this factor accounted for 60% of the variance for the 20 scales. Cronbach alpha reliability was .96. The revised 20-scale instrument was called the Menopause Attitude Scale (MAS). A second sample of 419 women completed the MAS and one additional instrument for assessment of convergent and discriminant validity. Convergent validity was demonstrated by a correlation of r = .63 for the MAS with the Attitudes Toward Menopause Scale. Discriminant validity was demonstrated by a correlation of r = .42 for the MAS with the Attitudes Toward Old People Scale and a correlation of r = -.04 for the MAS with the Attitudes Toward Women Scale. Factor analysis of MAS scores revealed that one factor accounted for 61.5% of the variance for the 20 scales. The test-retest reliability for 39 subjects was .87. Multiple regression analysis identified age and menopausal status as significant explanatory variables for MAS scores.
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- E Arriola
Greendale, G, Lee, N, Arriola, E. The Menopause. The Lancet 1999: 353: 571-580. - In this article, we attempt to distinguish between the properties of moderator and mediator variables at a number of levels. First, we seek to make theorists and researchers aware of the importance of not using the terms moderator and mediator interchangeably by carefully elaborating, both conceptually and strategically, the many ways in which moderators and mediators differ. We then go beyond this largely pedagogical function and delineate the conceptual and strategic implications of making use of such distinctions with regard to a wide range of phenomena, including control and stress, attitudes, and personality traits. We also provide a specific compendium of analytic procedures appropriate for making the most effective use of the moderator and mediator distinction, both separately and in terms of a broader causal system that includes both moderators and mediators. (46 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
- The increase in the number of older people and the functional disability associated with increasing age have caused concern regarding the consequences of large numbers of elderly people who are limited in their functional ability. One of the psychological factors that should be related to functional disability in the elderly is the way they cope with stress. The present study examines the use of proactive coping in the elderly in relation to their depression and their functional ability. Results of structural equation modeling showed that proactive coping was negatively associated with functional disability and with depression. Social support was positively associated with proactive coping and negatively with depression. Depression was positively associated with functional disability. A significant implication of the results is the importance of studying the combined relationship of social support and coping to elderly functioning.
- Two studies leading to the development of a short form of the Social Support Questionnaire (SSQ) are reported. In Study 1 three items selected for high correlations with the total score (SSQ3) were administered to 182 university students together with several personality measures. SSQ3 had acceptable test-retest reliability and correlations with personality variables similar to those of the SSQ. Internal reliability was marginal although acceptable for an instrument with so few items. Study 2 employed three sets of data in developing a six-item instrument (SSQ6). The SSQ6 had high internal reliability and correlated highly with the SSQ and similarly to it with personality variables. The research findings accompanying the development of the short form social support measure suggest that perceived social support in adults may be a reflection of early attachment experience.
- Both theory and previous research suggest a link between emotional intelligence and emotional well-being. Emotional intelligence includes the ability to understand and regulate emotions; emotional well-being includes positive mood and high self-esteem. Two studies investigated the relationship between emotional intelligence and mood, and between emotional intelligence and self-esteem. The results of these studies indicated that higher emotional intelligence was associated with characteristically positive mood and higher self-esteem. The results of a third study indicated that higher emotional intelligence was associated with a higher positive mood state and greater state self-esteem. The third study also investigated the role of emotional intelligence in mood and self-esteem regulation and found that individuals with higher emotional intelligence showed less of a decrease in positive mood and self-esteem after a negative state induction using the Velten method, and showed more of an increase in positive mood, but not in self-esteem, after a positive state induction. The findings were discussed in the light of previous work on emotional intelligence, and recommendations were made for further study.
- This series of studies describes the development of a measure of emotional intelligence based on the model of emotional intelligence developed by Salovey and Mayer [Salovey, P. & Mayer, J. D. (1990). Emotional intelligence. Imagination, Cognition and Personality, 9, 185–211.]. A pool of 62 items represented the different dimensions of the model. A factor analysis of the responses of 346 participants suggested the creation of a 33-item scale. Additional studies showed the 33-item measure to have good internal consistency and testretest reliability. Validation studies showed that scores on the 33-item measure 1.(a) correlated with eight of nine theoretically related constructs, including alexithymia, attention to feelings, clarity of feelings, mood repair, optimism and impulse control;2.(b) predicted first-year college grades;3.(c) were significantly higher for therapists than for therapy clients or for prisoners;4.(d) were significantly higher for females than males, consistent with prior findings in studies of emotional skills;5.(e) were not related to cognitive ability and6.(f) were associated with the openness to experience trait of the big five personality dimensions.
- The factor structure, reliability, and validity of the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS; S. H. Lovibond & P. F. Lovibond, 1995) and the 21-item short form of these measures (DASS–21 ) were examined in nonclinical volunteers ( n = 49) and patients with Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th ed.; American Psychiatric Association, 1994) diagnoses of panic disorder ( n = 67), obsessive-compulsive disorder ( n = 54), social phobia ( n = 74), specific phobia ( n = 17), and major depressive disorder ( n = 46). This study replicates previous findings indicating that the DASS distinguishes well between features of depression, physical arousal, and psychological tension and agitation and extends these observations to the DASS–21. In addition, the internal consistency and concurrent validity of the DASS and DASS–21 were in the acceptable to excellent ranges. Mean scores for the various groups were similar to those in previous research, and in the expected direction. The implications of these findings are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
- Depression in a middle aged woman should not automatically be blamed on the menopause The linking of the menopause with depression is pervasive in lay and medical discourse, despite limited supporting evidence. Historically, myths relating to menstrual taboos, as well as attitudes towards fertility and aging, have produced an image of the menopause as a time of physical and emotional decline. In the 19th century the menopause was thought to cause insanity, and it was only as recently as 1980 that the diagnosis of involutional melancholia was removed from the third edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.1 With the development of hormone replacement therapy, treatment of menopausal women shifted from the domains of psychiatry and psychoanalysis to gynaecology and endocrinology. Initially prescribed for the treatment of vasomotor symptoms, hormone replacement therapy is now recommended for preventing osteoporosis and cardiovascular disease and improving quality of life.2 In the past few years interest has increased in the possible psychoactive properties of hormone replacement therapy. It has been proposed that oestrogen might cure “menopausal depression” and that it might offer an additional bonus of increased wellbeing or quality of life for non-depressed, healthy women. Defining the menopause as an oestrogen deficiency disease implies that the cause of depression lies in a woman's hormones. This has important implications for the way middle aged and older women's views and behaviours are perceived in …
- Although some research has linked emotional intelligence (EI) and psychological health, little research has examined EI's ability to predict health outcomes after controlling for related constructs, or EI's ability to moderate the stressor–strain relationship. The present study explored the relationships among EI (as assessed by a trait-based measure, the EQ-i), Big Five personality factors, Type A Behaviour Pattern (TABP), daily hassles, and psychological health/strain factors (in terms of perceived well-being, strain, and three components of burnout). The EQ-i was highly correlated with most aspects of personality and TABP. After controlling for the impact of hassles, personality, and TABP, the five EQ-i subscales accounted for incremental variance in two of the five psychological health outcomes. However, the EQ-i scales failed to moderate the hassles–strain relationship. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
- We sought to determine the relationship between emotional competence and willingness to seek help for emotional problems and suicidal ideation. A survey of 300 university undergraduates assessed emotional competence (skill at emotion perception, managing self-relevant emotions, and managing others' emotions), hopelessness, willingness to seek help from health professionals (e.g. counsellor) and nonprofessionals (friends, family), and perceived usefulness of past help-seeking experience. Those who reported feeling less skilled at managing emotions were less willing to seek help from family and friends for both emotional problems and suicidal ideation and less willing to seek help from health professionals for suicidal ideation. These relationships held even after controlling for hopelessness, sex, and past help-seeking experience. Mediational analysis suggested that people low in managing others' emotions were less willing to seek help from professionals because they had had poorer experiences with mental health professionals in the past. There was no significant relationship between emotion perception skill and willingness to seek help. People most likely to be in need of help (those poor at managing emotions) were the least willing to seek it, and if they did seek it, were the least likely to benefit from it.
- Associations amongst personality, coping, health locus of control, emotional intelligence (EI) and health behaviours were examined in a group of 364 Canadian students. Consistent associations with health behaviours were found for Conscientiousness, with the correlation pattern for other measures being more variable. EI, coping and health locus of control scales were intercorrelated, and a scale-level factor analysis suggested the extraction of a superordinate Coping/EI factor. This was found to mediate the relationship between personality and both taking regular exercise and healthy diet strategy. These findings suggest that associations between coping and EI, and the ways in which EI can act as a coping resource, should be investigated further.
- Most empirical tests of mediation utilize cross-sectional data despite the fact that mediation consists of causal processes that unfold over time. The authors considered the possibility that longitudinal mediation might occur under either of two different models of change: (a) an autoregressive model or (b) a random effects model. For both models, the authors demonstrated that cross-sectional approaches to mediation typically generate substantially biased estimates of longitudinal parameters even under the ideal conditions when mediation is complete. In longitudinal models where variable M completely mediates the effect of X on Y, cross-sectional estimates of the direct effect of X on Y, the indirect effect of X on Y through M, and the proportion of the total effect mediated by M are often highly misleading.
- Menopause is a reproductive milestone in a woman's life around which many different myths have developed. We reviewed three sets of myths that middle-aged premenopausal women hold and evaluated those myths according to scientific data from our own work and that of others. First, middle-aged women expect to experience depression, irritability, and vasomotor symptoms during the menopause. It appears that the vast majority of postmenopausal women do not experience depression, but do experience vasomotor symptoms that are uncomfortable and may have secondary effects on psychological well being, especially during the perimenopause. Second, middle-aged women believe that holding negative expectations about the menopause affects the quality of the menopausal experience. Indeed, that appears to be the case, perhaps because myths can function as self-fulfilling prophecy. The third myth is that there are no important changes that occur during the menopause. That is incorrect. Estrogen deficiency during the menopause sets the stage for substantial changes in risk for CHD, which becomes clinically apparent later in life. We discussed how estrogen deficiency may influence both lipids and lipoprotein levels and the magnitude of neuroendocrine and cardiovascular respond to mental stress. That latter pathway is of particular interest because middle-aged women may be exposed more often to interpersonal stress and may respond more emotionally to it, relative to men, suggesting a potential interactive effect of the decline in reproductive hormones and co-occurring social and psychological changes during the menopausal period. This discussion of the myths and realities of the menopause has deliberately not been exhaustive.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
- Manual for the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales Sydney: Psychology Foundation
- Lovibond
- Sh
- Lovibond
- Pf
Lovibond SH, Lovibond PF. Manual for the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales. 2nd ed. Sydney: Psychology Foundation; 1995. - It has been hypothesized that irrational belief is a prime cause of maladjustment. Existing measures of irrational belief appear to lack construct validity in that they contain many items that ask about anxiety reactions. In this article we describe the development of a 20-item measure of irrational belief that asks only about irrational belief. Two studies of the scale produced evidence that it has good internal consistency and good test-retest reliability. Three additional studies of the scale found evidence of validity.
- In this article, we attempt to distinguish between the properties of moderator and mediator variables at a number of levels. First, we seek to make theorists and researchers aware of the importance of not using the terms moderator and mediator interchangeably by carefully elaborating, both conceptually and strategically, the many ways in which moderators and mediators differ. We then go beyond this largely pedagogical function and delineate the conceptual and strategic implications of making use of such distinctions with regard to a wide range of phenomena, including control and stress, attitudes, and personality traits. We also provide a specific compendium of analytic procedures appropriate for making the most effective use of the moderator and mediator distinction, both separately and in terms of a broader causal system that includes both moderators and mediators.
- This paper presents findings from the Massachusetts Women's Health Study (MWHS), one of the largest population-based studies of mid-aged women. A longitudinal study that followed a population-based cohort of women as they proceeded through menopause, the MWHS's goal was to describe their responses and to identify health-related, life-style, and other social factors that affect this transition. Findings indicate that natural menopause appears to have no major impact on health or health behavior. The majority of women do not seek additional help concerning menopause, and their attitudes toward it are, overwhelmingly, positive or neutral. Physicians treating mid-aged women must be careful not to confuse "menopausal" symptoms with indicators of underlying disease or conditions unrelated to menopause.
- Recent studies suggest that health care utilisation by women during menopause transition in general is highly idiosyncratic, despite the widespread advocation of prophylactic hormone therapy and increased health vigilance. The Melbourne Women's Midlife Health Study, a community-based cross-sectional study of 2001 urban Australian-born women aged 45-55 years, evaluated women's physical and emotional experiences, past and present health status, attitudes and beliefs about menopause, health behaviours and current menopausal status in a 30-min telephone interview. This paper reports on those factors related to help-seeking and health care utilisation. Findings show that treatment utilisers, in contrast to non-utilisers, reported a wider range of general symptoms, but reports on vasomotor symptoms did not contribute to the regression analysis. Treatment utilisers were further identified as problem-related or prevention-related utilisers. In three-way analyses, the past and present social and physical health of the problem-related treatment user was reportedly worse than either the prevention-related utiliser or non-utiliser. These findings suggest that medical and societal views about the health of middle-aged women during menopausal transition are likely to be based on the experiences of a particular segment of the population only. It is proposed that biased views of menopause as a time of considerable distress and ill-health are being perpetuated and over-generalised. This perspective appears to have little relevance for the majority of middle-aged women.
- Hormonal changes as well as sociocultural and personal factors account for climacteric symptoms. The aim of this study is to investigate in a clinical population the correlation between the severity of hot flashes and vaginal dryness and the 'coping-ineffectiveness of coping' construct. Out of 120 women consecutively referring to the University Menopause Clinic, 85 subjects were evaluated for their climacteric complaints including anxiety and depression and for their coping style assessed with the Italian version of the Utrechtse Coping Lijst. Daily hot flashes and severe vaginal dryness were reported by almost half of the studied population, regression analyses were performed in order to investigate how much of the variance in such symptoms was explained by the psychosocial variables and by the coping mechanisms. A more recent menopause, a lower educational level and an active coping predict a higher severity of hot flashes; a longer time since last menstrual period and a coping of avoidance predict a higher severity of vaginal dryness. The present study suggests that the severity of hot flashes and vaginal dryness among a clinical sample of postmenopausal women is not only determined by biological and social variables, but personal resources also explain part of the variance of such climacteric complaints.
- Menopause is diagnosed after 12 months of amenorrhoea resulting from the permanent cessation of ovarian function. The mean age at menopause is 51 years. The perimenopause, a time of changing ovarian function, precedes the final menses by several years. The physiology and clinical manifestations of this transition to menopause are not well understood; however, some symptoms, such as hot flashes, certainly begin in the perimenopause. Causal associations between menopause and several symptoms and diseases are proposed. The evidence for these associations varies and is reviewed. Hormone replacement therapy can be directed at symptom relief or at prevention or treatment of chronic diseases. Doses and routes of hormone replacement therapy vary by indication. Complications of hormone replacement therapy depend on the regimen used. Knowing the expected vaginal bleeding pattern for each hormone replacement therapy regimen is important, since unexpected bleeding may signal endometrial hyperplasia. Postmenopausal hormone therapy is a complex intervention that produces positive and negative specific health effects. Overall, based on observational studies, postmenopausal women who use hormones have a 30-50% lower all-cause mortality rate than those who do not use hormones. It is important to recognise that the value that individual women place on various health outcomes associated with hormone replacement therapy may differ. Thus, the decision to use hormone replacement therapy should be made jointly by each woman and her health-care provider, after careful consideration of possible benefits, risks, and her personal preferences.
- To explore a possible association between climacteric symptoms and ways of coping with stress, a comparative study was conducted among 19 menopausal women who sought treatment for climacteric symptoms (the study group) and 44 healthy menopausal women (the control group). Life stress was assessed using a life event method in which factor analysis extracted four ways that women cope with stress: avoidance-oriented coping, consultation-oriented coping, aggression-expression coping, and problem-solving coping. The study group had a higher symptom score and was more prone to avoidance-oriented coping than the control group despite experiencing the same number of undesirable life events. The severity of climacteric symptoms correlated positively with the number of undesirable life events and the degree of avoidance-oriented coping and correlated negatively with the degree of aggression- expression coping for the study group. These results suggest that vulnerability to stress contributes to worsening climacteric symptoms caused by stress.
- In 7 studies, the authors examined the link between emotional intelligence and interpersonal relations. In Studies 1 and 2, the participants with higher scores for emotional intelligence had higher scores for empathic perspective taking and self-monitoring in social situations. In Study 3, the participants with higher scores for emotional intelligence had higher scores for social skills. In Study 4, the participants with higher scores for emotional intelligence displayed more cooperative responses toward partners. In Study 5, the participants with higher scores for emotional intelligence had higher scores for close and affectionate relationships. In Study 6, the participants' scores for marital satisfaction were higher when they rated their marital partners higher for emotional intelligence. In Study 7, the participants anticipated greater satisfaction in relationships with partners described as having emotional intelligence.
- The objective of the study was to examine the direct and indirect influences of dispositional factors, namely optimism, health-related hardiness (HRH) and sense of coherence (SOC), on the symptom experiences of peri- and postmenopausal women. Indirect effects of dispositional factors were examined via attitudes to the menopause and coping (emotion-versus problem-focused). A survey methodology was employed to assess the research objective for 176 peri- and postmenopausal women recruited from menopause clinics and family planning centers in Queensland, Australia. Emotional stability of the subjects was statistically controlled to eliminate any possible confounding effect on symptom reporting. The results indicated that optimism and SOC affect menopausal health directly, as evidenced by fewer symptoms reported by women scoring highly on these dispositions. Any indirect effect of HRH, optimism and SOC appears to be exerted via problem-focused coping rather than emotion-focused coping or through attitudes. It was concluded that dispositional factors are important to the experience of the menopause and how women adapt to their midlife transition. Psychologists and professionals working in menopause clinics may need to promote feelings of optimism and a sense of coherence in menopausal women, to facilitate better adaptation to this important transitional phase in women's lives.
- We focused on the computer-mediated communication (CMC) of social support in an electronic health discussion group dealing with menopause and midlife transition to show how vital support is to women who are trying to make sense of the change in their lives. We analyzed 2,000 messages, examining the type and frequency of support messages, how support was demonstrated, and how support was recognized by participants. We then provided evidence to show that a community of support had developed.
- This study examined the relationship between perceived emotional intelligence and health-related quality of life in middle-aged women. 99 middle-aged Spanish women, who studied in two adult schools, volunteered to participate. 49 were premenopausal and 45 were postmenopausal. These women completed the Trait Meta-Mood Scale and Health Survey SF-36. Scores were analyzed according to social, physical, and mental health, menopausal status, and scores on perceived emotional intelligence. Then, the data regarding the mental and physical health of the premenopausal and postmenopausal women were compared after controlling for age. No associations between menopausal status and health-related quality of life were found. Perceived skill at mood repair was significantly associated with scores on health-related quality of life in these middle-aged women. These findings provide empirical evidence that aspects of perceived emotional intelligence may account for the health-related quality of life in midlife including social, physical, and psychological symptoms.
- The Ohio Midlife Women's Study was longitudinal with measurements occurring at three, 9-month intervals. Our purpose in doing this research was to examine predictors, moderators, and outcome variables associated with the transition to midlife in Caucasian and African American women. Predictor variables included loss and gain of resources. Moderators included menopause symptoms, menopausal status, attitude toward menopause, coping, and demographic characteristics. Outcome variables included anxiety, depression, and health promoting activities. To obtain the proposed final sample of 160 midlife women, an initial sample of 103 African American and 105 Caucasian "healthy" women were recruited in the community. Consistent predictors of anxiety were loss of resources, coping effectiveness, and education. Consistent predictors of depression were loss of resources and education. Health promoting activities were consistently predicted by attitude toward menopause and coping effectiveness. Stress is a better predictor of negative health outcomes than menopausal status.
- The majority of women diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer have an excellent long-term prognosis, but many will undergo temporary or permanent chemotherapy-induced amenorrhea. While breast cancer is more common in older women, about 1 in 200 women under the age of 40 is at risk to develop breast cancer. Many of these women benefit from chemotherapy but are afraid to risk the opportunity to bear children. The authors review the current studies on the impact of adjuvant chemotherapy on amenorrhea and fertility in women with breast cancer. The likelihood of amenorrhea is based on the specific adjuvant chemotherapy regimen administered and the age of the patient. Future childbirth is a viable option for women treated for breast cancer at an early stage. While the use of tamoxifen as a hormonal therapy in premenopausal breast cancer is now the standard of care, no conclusive data confirm the benefit of GnRH agonists in adjuvant therapy after treatment with chemotherapy followed by tamoxifen. As more women over the age of 35 consider pregnancy, fertility issues are becoming important areas of investigation for the adjuvant treatment of breast cancer. Whether chemotherapy-induced amenorrhea has a prognostic effect remains unclear, and further studies are warranted.
- Background Symptom scales for aging women have clinically been used for years and the interest in measuring health-related quality of life (HRQoL) has increased in recent years. The Menopause Rating Scale (MRS) is a formally validated scale according to the requirements for quality of life instruments. The aim of this paper is to review the current state of the instrument particularly concerning versions of the scale in different languages. MRS versions available The translations were performed following international methodological recommendations for the linguistic & cultural adaptation of HRQoL instruments. The first translation was done from the German original scale into English (UK & USA). The English version was used as the source language for the translations into French, Spanish, Swedish, Mexican/Argentine, Brazilian, Turkish, and Indonesian languages (attached as additional PDF files). Conclusion The MRS scale is obviously a valuable tool for assessing health related quality of life of women in the menopausal transition and is used worldwide. The currently available 9 language versions have been translated following international standards for the linguistic and cultural translation of quality of life scales. Assistance is offered to help interested parties in the translation process.
- The midlife period in the lifespan is characterized by a complex interplay of multiple roles. The goal of this chapter is to summarize research findings on the central themes and salient issues of midlife such as balancing work and family responsibilities in the midst of the physical and psychological changes associated with aging. The field of midlife development is emerging in the context of large demographic shifts in the population. A section on the phenomenology of midlife development presents images and expectations including the seemingly disparate views of midlife as a time of peak functioning and a period of crisis. Conceptual frameworks useful for studying the multiple patterns of change in midlife are presented. Findings demonstrating patterns of gains and losses are reviewed for multiple domains: cognitive functioning, personality and the self, emotions, social relationships, work, and physical health. The need for future research to illuminate and integrate the diverse aspects of midlife is highlighted.
- This paper compiles data from different sources to get a first comprehensive picture of psychometric and other methodological characteristics of the Menopause Rating Scale (MRS) scale. The scale was designed and standardized as a self-administered scale to (a) to assess symptoms/complaints of aging women under different conditions, (b) to evaluate the severity of symptoms over time, and (c) to measure changes pre- and postmenopause replacement therapy. The scale became widespread used (available in 10 languages). A large multinational survey (9 countries in 4 continents) from 2001/ 2002 is the basis for in depth analyses on reliability and validity of the MRS. Additional small convenience samples were used to get first impressions about test-retest reliability. The data were centrally analyzed. Data from a postmarketing HRT study were used to estimate discriminative validity. Reliability measures (consistency and test-retest stability) were found to be good across countries, although the sample size for test-retest reliability was small.Validity: The internal structure of the MRS across countries was astonishingly similar to conclude that the scale really measures the same phenomenon in symptomatic women. The sub-scores and total score correlations were high (0.7-0.9) but lower among the sub-scales (0.5-0.7). This however suggests that the subscales are not fully independent. Norm values from different populations were presented showing that a direct comparison between Europe and North America is possible, but caution recommended with comparisons of data from Latin America and Indonesia. But this will not affect intra-individual comparisons within clinical trials. The comparison with the Kupperman Index showed sufficiently good correlations, illustrating an adept criterion-oriented validity. The same is true for the comparison with the generic quality-of-life scale SF-36 where also a sufficiently close association has been shown. The currently available methodological evidence points towards a high quality of the MRS scale to measure and to compare HRQoL of aging women in different regions and over time, it suggests a high reliability and high validity as far as the process of construct validation could be completed yet.
- Psychosocial influences have been found to impact on the symptoms a woman may experience as she moves through the menopause transition. Consequently any assessment of the menopausal woman should include an exploration and understanding of how the many psychosocial factors influence the experience of menopause and midlife. This article describes the many psychosocial factors that influence the experience of menopause including midlife issues, role and purpose in life, interpersonal relationships, libido, personality, psychological history and present psychological functioning, body image and sociocultural issues. Case studies are included to illustrate the importance of including psychosocial factors in the assessment and treatment of the menopausal woman. Any assessment of the menopause experience should include psychosocial influences and the context of women's lives. In a consultation where both the physical and psychosocial issues are explored, we come closer to addressing the true needs of each patient.
- Researchers often conduct mediation analysis in order to indirectly assess the effect of a proposed cause on some outcome through a proposed mediator. The utility of mediation analysis stems from its ability to go beyond the merely descriptive to a more functional understanding of the relationships among variables. A necessary component of mediation is a statistically and practically significant indirect effect. Although mediation hypotheses are frequently explored in psychological research, formal significance tests of indirect effects are rarely conducted. After a brief overview of mediation, we argue the importance of directly testing the significance of indirect effects and provide SPSS and SAS macros that facilitate estimation of the indirect effect with a normal theory approach and a bootstrap approach to obtaining confidence intervals, as well as the traditional approach advocated by Baron and Kenny (1986). We hope that this discussion and the macros will enhance the frequency of formal mediation tests in the psychology literature. Electronic copies of these macros may be downloaded from the Psychonomic Society's Web archive at www.psychonomic.org/archive/.
- To examine the impact of participation in a psycho-educational program on women's attitudes toward menopause, the perceived severity of their symptoms, and the association between the two. Quasi-experimental. Data were gathered at baseline and 3 months after termination of the program. Two health maintenance organization clinics. Eighty-two healthy 40- to 60-year-old women who chose to participate in the study. Thirty-six women participated in the program, and 46 women comprised the control group. Program participants met for 10 weekly sessions to receive information from a professional team on subjects related to menopause and to share and discuss their experiences. Attitudes toward menopause and severity of menopause symptoms. The more negative the attitudes, the higher was the severity of symptoms. Participants reported significant improvements in attitudes and reductions in symptom severity compared to their own baseline scores and compared with the control group. Participation in a program that combines delivery of information and processing of experiences on the cognitive, emotional, and social levels may improve women's attitudes toward menopause and ease the perceived severity of their symptoms, thereby increasing quality of life.
- Menopause is a physiological event occurring in women at about the age of 50. It signals the end of the reproductive years and is associated with signs of estrogen deficiency having a considerable impact on women's health-related quality of life (HRQoL). The most common form of treatment is hormone replacement therapy (HRT). Studies have shown negative events can arise from long-term use of HRT. The aim of this review is to determine if there are any HRQoL instruments that address the impact of menopausal symptoms including positive and negative effects of HRT. The following eight instruments were identified: Greene Climacteric Scale, Women's Health Questionnaire (WHQ), Qualifemme, Menopause-Specific QOL Questionnaire (MENQOL), Menopausal Symptoms List (MSL), Menopause Rating Scale (MRS), Menopausal Quality of Life Scale (MQOL), and the Utian Quality of Life Scale (UQOL). All instruments reviewed proved to be reasonably structured and have their place in applied research. None were found that addressed all aspects of the impact of HRT on HRQoL. In order to capture the possible short-term side effects of HRT on HRQoL, it is necessary to modify one or more of the existing instruments or develop a new instrument applicable in many different countries and languages.
- Transition to menopause has long been considered a period of increased risk for depressive symptoms. However, it is unclear whether this period is one of increased risk for major depressive disorder, particularly for women who have not had a previous episode of depression. To examine the association between the menopausal transition and onset of first lifetime episode of depression among women with no history of mood disturbance. Longitudinal, prospective cohort study. A population-based cross-sectional sample. Premenopausal women, 36 to 45 years of age, with no lifetime diagnosis of major depression (N = 460), residing in 7 Boston, Mass, metropolitan area communities. Main Outcome Measure Incidence of new onset of depression based on structured clinical interviews, Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale scores, and an operational construct for depression. Premenopausal women with no lifetime history of major depression who entered the perimenopause were twice as likely to develop significant depressive symptoms as women who remained premenopausal, after adjustment for age at study enrollment and history of negative life events. The increased risk for depression was somewhat greater in women with self-reported vasomotor symptoms. The current study suggests that within a similarly aged population of women with no lifetime history of depression, those who enter the menopausal transition earlier have a significant risk for first onset of depression. Further studies are needed to determine more definitively whether other factors, such as the presence of vasomotor symptoms, use of hormone therapy, and the occurrence of adverse life events, independently modify this risk. Physical symptoms associated with the menopausal transition and mood changes seen during this period may affect many women as they age and may lead to a significant burden of illness.
- The aim of this study was to examine the direct and indirect relationships between emotional intelligence and subjective fatigue. One hundred sixty seven university students completed questionnaires assessing subjective fatigue, emotional intelligence, and a range of other psychosocial factors. A series of regression analyses were used to examine the direct and indirect relationships between subjective fatigue and psychosocial factors. Higher emotional intelligence was associated with less fatigue. The psychosocial variables depression, anxiety, optimism, internal health locus of control, amount of social support, and satisfaction with social support each partially mediated between emotional intelligence and fatigue. Additionally, sleep quality partially mediated between emotional intelligence and fatigue. These findings regarding the association between subjective fatigue, emotional intelligence, and other psychosocial factors may facilitate an understanding of the aetiology of fatigue and contribute to future research examining interventions aimed at helping individuals cope with fatigue.
- Stress plays an essential role in the development, continuation and exacerbation of mood problems throughout a woman's life. It exacerbates somatic symptoms of menopause, increasing the risk of recurrence of mood disorders, as well as of a mood disorder de novo throughout the lifespan and specifically in the menopausal transition. Chronic stress affects the hypothalamic-pituitary axis, hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis, the proinflammatory cytokines and cardiovascular risk. The current evidence for the potential interactions between acute stress, chronic stress, childhood stress and victimization, and individual susceptibility to the development of depression and/or anxiety in response to stressful life events, are reviewed in the context of the increasing data on the association of these and a symptomatic menopausal transition. Strategies for the optimal approach for clinicians to evaluate and treat the symptomatic perimenopausal patient with stressful life events and comorbid mood disorders are presented.
