title: Stress, psychological distress, psychosocial factors, menopause symptoms and physical health in women.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Relatively few studies have evaluated relationships between stress, psychological distress, psychosocial factors and menopause symptoms, and none have evaluated emotional intelligence (EI) in relation to menopause. In this study, direct and indirect relationships were evaluated between stress, psychological distress, psychosocial factors (e.g. social support, coping, EI), menopause symptom severity and physical health in middle-aged women.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred and sixteen women aged 45-55 years were recruited through women's health centres and community organizations. They completed a short questionnaire asking about stress, psychological distress (i.e. anxiety, depression), EI, attitude to menopause, menopause symptoms and physical health.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Low emotional intelligence was found to be related to worse menopause symptoms and physical health, and these associations were partly mediated by high stress, anxiety and depression, a negative attitude to menopause and low proactive coping.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Women with high EI appear to hold more positive attitudes to menopause and experience less severe stress, psychological distress and menopause symptoms and better physical health. These results suggest that women who expect menopause to be a negative experience or are highly stressed or distressed may be more likely to experience a more negative menopause.
authors.affiliation: Griffith University, Australia.
authors.forename: Rosie
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bauld
authors.forename: Rhonda F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Brown
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D001007:Anxiety; D001294:Attitude to Health; D003863:Depression; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007360:Intelligence; D008593:Menopause / Q000502:physiology / Q000523:psychology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012944:Social Support; D013315:Stress, Psychological; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires