title: Depressive symptoms in middle-aged women in peninsular Malaysia.
abstract: A household survey was carried out in Peninsular Malaysia to determine the prevalence rate of depressive symptoms in middle-aged women and to explore its associated factors. Women aged 45 to 60 years were assessed on sociodemographic profiles, menopausal status, depressive symptoms, marital dissatisfaction, and coping strategies. A total of 3934 women participated, and the mean age was 51 years. The prevalence rate of depressive symptoms was 54.2%. Of the married women, 38.4% had poor to very severe problems in their marriage. Depressive symptoms were significantly associated with marital status (P < .001), ethnicity (P < .001), educational levels (P < .001), occupational status ( P < .001), domicile (P < .001), and menopausal status ( P < .05). Depressive symptoms were correlated with marital dissatisfaction scores. Women who consulted professionals, shared with relatives, kept problems to themselves, or consulted parents/siblings had higher mean scores on depressive symptoms compared with those who did not use these coping strategies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychological Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. zuraida@ummc.edu.my
authors.forename: Nor Zuraida
authors.initials: NZ
authors.lastname: Zainal
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008296:Malaysia / Q000453:epidemiology; D008393:Marriage / Q000523:psychology; D008593:Menopause / Q000523:psychology; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors