title: Influences of natural menopause on psychological characteristics and symptoms of middle-aged healthy women.
abstract: We investigated the psychological and symptom consequences of the natural menopause in a longitudinal study of 541 initially premenopausal healthy women. All women were given an extensive evaluation at baseline. After 3 years of follow-up, 69 women ceased cycling for 12 months; another 32 women had ceased cycling and had taken hormone replacement therapy for a total of 12 months. These women were reevaluated in a clinic examination identical with the baseline examination, as were 101 age-matched premenopausal control women. Comparison among groups at the baseline and follow-up examination showed that natural menopause led to few changes in psychological characteristics, with only a decline in introspectiveness and an increase in reports of hot flashes being apparent. We conclude that natural menopause did not have negative mental health consequences for the majority of middle-aged healthy women.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213.
authors.forename: K A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Matthews
authors.forename: R R
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Wing
authors.forename: L H
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Kuller
authors.forename: E N
authors.initials: EN
authors.lastname: Meilahn
authors.forename: S F
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Kelsey
authors.forename: E J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Costello
authors.forename: A W
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: Caggiula
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D001294:Attitude to Health; D002979:Climacteric / Q000523:psychology*; D015914:Estrogen Replacement Therapy / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010556:Personality Tests