Stress Vulnerability and Climacteric Symptoms: Life Events, Coping Behavior, and Severity of Symptoms

Abstract

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.

Somatic, mood, and vasomotor symptoms at midlife in relation to family structure and household workloads in Sylhet, Bangladesh

“…Studies of midlife have also suggested that psycho-social stress is a significant correlate of symptom frequencies in Canada (Kaufert et al 1992), the UK (Kuh et al 1997), the U.S. (McKinlay et al 1987;Thurston et al 2008), Spain (Sievert et al 2007b), Japan (Igarashi et al 2000), and Chile (Binfa et al 2004). …”

Efficacy and Safety of Desvenlafaxine Treatment for Hot Flashes Associated with Menopause: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

“…It is estimated that approximately 75% of postmenopausal women and about 49% of perimenopausal women have experienced hot flashes that persist for 6 months to 5 years [3], while approximately 10% of women experience VMS as long as 12 years after the final menstrual period [4]. VMS have a significant impact on the quality of life and overall physical health, leading to treatment for these symptoms [5]. …”

Cognitive-Behavioural Group Intervention for Climacteric Syndrome

“…Psychopathology before menopause plays a role in the development of psychological symptoms during menopause and symptom severity. The biology of depression in menopausal women may be different from that of non-menopausal women; these differences may be related to the climacteric hormonal changes [6, 7]. …”

“…Problem-solving strategies and coping behaviour are decisive for improving the condition of the climacteric woman [10]. An avoidance-oriented coping style correlates positively with severity of symptoms [6]. …”