title: Climacteric symptoms and their relation to feminine self-concept.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate women's subjective experiences in the climacteric transition, especially the impact of self-concept, quality of life and depression on the severity of climacteric symptoms.
  
  
  METHODS
  Non-experimental, cross-sectional study, purpose sampling. To analyze the results, we proposed a three-way interaction, in which the direct effect of depression on the severity of climacteric symptoms would be buffered by perceived sexual quality of life, and mediated by self-concept.
  
  
  RESULTS
  As hypothesized, depression significantly predicted self-concept, which in turn mediated the severity of climacteric symptoms. In a second stage of the model, sexual quality of life moderated the direct effect of depression on climacteric symptoms, such that women with a better sexual quality of life would perceive less severity of climacteric symptoms than those with a less favorable sexual quality of life. Physical quality of life did not significantly buffer the direct effect of depression on climacteric symptoms, nor did vasomotor or psychosocial quality of life.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study confirmed the impact of subjective factors such as satisfaction, self-concept, and quality of life on climacteric symptoms; specifically, we observed the moderating effect of the sexual quality of life on the previously established correlation between depression and aggravation of climacteric symptoms.
authors.affiliation: a Departamento Académico de Psicología , Universidad of Monterrey , Garza García , Mexico.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Quiroga
authors.affiliation: b Clinic Psychology Department , Universidad Complutense de Madrid , Madrid , Spain.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Larroy
authors.affiliation: a Departamento Académico de Psicología , Universidad of Monterrey , Garza García , Mexico.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: González-Castro
mesh_terms: D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008593:Menopause / Q000523:psychology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life; D012649:Self Concept; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
keywords: Depression; climacteric symptoms; psychosocial factors; quality of life; self-concept; sexual quality of life