Psychological Climacteric Symptoms and Attitudes toward Menopause among Emirati Women

Abstract

Menopause is an inevitable developmental event that women encounter at an age of 42-54 years. The drop of estrogen levels that accompanies cessation of menstruation is associated with multiple vasomotor, physical, neuropsychological, and sexual symptoms, which may hamper quality of life. This study aimed to examine the severity of psychological symptoms and their correlates among peri- and postmenopausal Emirati women (N = 60, mean age = 54.88 ± 6 years). Participants were interviewed using the Menopause-Specific Quality of Life (MENQOL) and attitudes toward menopause scale (ATMS). In four path analysis models, vasomotor symptoms, weight gain, and fatigue had significant direct effects on symptoms of anxiety, depression (only weight gain and fatigue), and psychological distress. Fatigue significantly mediated the effects of vasomotor symptoms and weight gain on symptoms of anxiety, depression (only vasomotor symptoms), psychological distress, and memory problems. These models explained 47.6%, 44.5%, 56.6%, and 29.1% of the variances in anxiety, depression, psychological distress, and memory problems, respectively. Participants with more severe menopausal symptoms expressed more negative attitudes toward menopause though regression analysis revealed that only vasomotor symptoms could significantly contribute to ATMS scores. In conclusion, psychological distress is widespread among menopausal women, and it is associated with vasomotor symptoms, fatigue, and change of body composition (obesity). Psychological symptoms, along with vasomotor symptoms, express a key link to negative attitudes toward menopause. Therefore, interventional strategies that target psychological distress may promote coping with midlife transition and improve mental health among menopausal women.

Keywords: Arab; Emirate; anxiety; attitudes toward menopause; body weight/obesity; depression; fatigue; memory; menopause; psychological distress; quality of life; sexual symptoms; sleep; vasomotor symptoms.

Figure 1

Hypothesized model of the relationships between vasomotor symptoms, weight gain, difficulty sleeping, fatigue, and psychological variables.

Figure 2

Definitions of key variables in this study. MENQOL: Menopause-Specific Quality of Life scale.

Figure 3

Results of trimmed path analysis models with standardized beta weights, standard errors, and significance values depicting relationships of vasomotor symptoms, weight gain, difficulty sleeping, and fatigue with symptoms of anxiety (Panel a), depression (Panel b), psychological distress (Panel c), and memory problems (Panel d) among menopausal women. * p < 0.05, ** p < 0.01. Dotted lines represent trimmed paths.