title: Premature menopause and psychological well-being.
abstract: This study aimed to investigate the psychological well-being of women who had experienced menopause before the age of 40 years. Participants were women known to the reproductive endocrinology service of a London teaching hospital. They were contacted and invited to participate in the questionnaire study by post. Sixty-four women (41.6%) who completed and returned their questionnaires formed a usable sample. Participants reported high levels of depression and perceived stress, and low levels of self-esteem and life satisfaction, compared to the general population. Self-reports on several dimensions of sexuality were significantly more negative. The following factors could affect the degree of reported distress: age, age at diagnosis, time since diagnosis, already having children, being in a long-term relationship, or having psychological treatment in the past or present. The results suggest that premature menopause could pose significant psychological difficulty for a sizeable proportion of those who have the condition. It is argued that the provision of psychological care should be an integral part of clinical management.
authors.affiliation: Psychology Department, Hunter Street Health Centre, London, UK.
authors.forename: K L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Liao
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Wood
authors.forename: G S
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Conway
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D017668:Age of Onset; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D017533:Marital Status; D008594:Menopause, Premature / Q000523:psychology*; D008603:Mental Health; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012307:Risk Factors; D012649:Self Concept; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016387:Women's Health