Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Student Research Committee, Larestan University of Medical Sciences, Larestan, Iran

2 Department of Nursing, School of Nursing, Larestan University of Medical Sciences, Larestan, Iran

Abstract

Background: Menopause is one of the female life stages affecting their mental health due to symptoms experienced by them during this period. This study aimed to investigate the relationships between severity of menopausal symptoms, depression and anxiety.
Methods: This cross-sectional analytical study was performed on 120 females aged 45-65 years in the city of Larestan, Iran. Subjects were selected by convenience sampling. Data collection tools included a demographic questionnaire, Beck depression inventory, Spielberger anxiety scale, and the modified Kupperman menopausal complication index. Data analysis was performed using SPSS software (version 25) at 95% confidence level.
 
Results: Out of 120 menopausal females, who participated in this study, 89.2% were married, and their mean age was 53.30±4.24 years. The majority of them (92.5%) were in their diploma level and below. According to the results of the Spearman correlation test, there was a significant relationship between depression score and severity of menopausal symptoms (r = 0.775, P <0.01). There was also a significant difference between the total anxiety score and the severity of menopausal symptoms (r = .0.754, P <0.01).
 
Conclusion: Considering the significant relationship between the severity of menopausal symptoms and the presence of anxiety and depression, the treatment of menopausal symptoms can prevent depression and anxiety in females during this sensitive period.

Keywords

1.         Sharifi N, Jalili L, Najar S, Yazdizadeh H, Haghighizadeh MH. Survey of general health and related factors in menopausal females in Ahvaz city, 2012. Razi Journal of Medical Sciences. 2015;21(128):59-65.
2.         Peacock K, Ketvertis KM. MenopauseIn. StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK507826/ Updated 2019 Nov 22.
3.         Enjezab B, Farajzadegan Z, Taleghani F, Aflatoonian A. Gender barriers to health promotion in middle-aged Iranian females. Journal of biosocial science. 2014;46(6):818-29.
4.         Sadock BJ, Sadock VA, Ruiz P. Synopsis of psychiatry: behavioral sciences, clinical psychiatry: Wolters Kluwer; 2015.
5.         Bromberger JT, Kravitz HM. Mood and menopause: findings from the Study of Females's Health Across the Nation (SWAN) over 10 years. Obstetrics and Gynecology Clinics. 2011;38(3):609-25.
6.         Rapkin AJ. Vasomotor symptoms in menopause: physiologic condition and central nervous system approaches to treatment. American journal of obstetrics and gynecology. 2007;196(2):97-106.
7.         Lizcano F, Guzmán G. Estrogen deficiency and the origin of obesity during menopause. BioMed research international. 2014;2014.
8.         Warren MP, Shu AR, Dominguez JE. Menopause and hormone replacement.  Endotext [Internet]: MDText. com, Inc.; 2015.
9.         Bahri N, Afiat M, Aghamohamadian HR, Delshad Noughabi A, Bahri N. Investigating the Relationship between Severity of Menopausal Symptoms and Depression, Anxiety and Other Menopausal Symptoms. The Iranian Journal of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Infertility. 2013;16(43):14-20.
10.       Rossler W, Ajdacic-Gross V, Riecher-Rossler A, Angst J, Hengartner MP. Does menopausal transition really influence mental health? Findings from the prospective long-term Zurich study. World Psychiatry. 2016;15(2):146-54.
11.       Lipovac M, Chedraui P, Gruenhut C, Gocan A, Stammler M, Imhof M. Improvement of postmenopausal depressive and anxiety symptoms after treatment with isoflavones derived from red clover extracts. Maturitas. 2010;65(3):258-61.
12.       Gilchrist RB, Lane M, Thompson JG. Oocyte-secreted factors: regulators of cumulus cell function and oocyte quality. Human reproduction update. 2008;14(2):159-77.
13.       Parente RC, Faerstein E, Celeste RK, Werneck GL. The relationship between smoking and age at the menopause: a systematic review. Maturitas. 2008;61(4):287-98.
14.       Afridi I. Psychological and Social Aspects of Menopause. Menopause: A Multidisciplinary Look at. 2017:49.
15.       Golyan Tehrani S, Mir Mohammad Ali M, Mahmoudi M, Khaledian Z. Study of quality of life and its patterns in different stages of menopause for females in Tehran. Journal of hayat. 2002;8(3):33-41.
16.       Berek JS, Longacre T, Friedlander M. Ovarian, fallopian tube, and peritoneal cancer. Berek and Novak's gynecology 15th ed Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott William & Wilkins. 2012:2336-476.
17.       Nikkhooi A, Ekhlasi A, Davasaz Irani R. The effect of counseling on reduction of depression after vasectomy and tubal ligation. Iranian Journal of Psychiatry and Clinical Psychology. 2004; 9(4):43-8.
18.       Spielberger CD, Gorsuch RL, Lushene RE. Manual for the state-trait anxiety inventory. 1970.
19.       Shahinfar J, Zera’ati H, Masroornia M, Vafayi S, Hashemi F. Comparison of the effects of lavender and diazepam on the anxiety level of patients before orthopedic surgery. Medical - Surgical Nursing Journal. 2016;5(3):1-5.
20.       Tao M, Shao H, Li C, Teng Y. Correlation between the modified Kupperman Index and the Menopause Rating Scale in Chinese females. Patient Prefer Adherence. 2013;7:223-9.
21.       Mohammadi-nik F. Effects of soye on menopausal hot flash in females who refer to Mashhad, Emam Reza clinic: Thesis in Persian]. Mashhad: Mashhad University of Medical Scienes; 1999.
22.       Ziagham S, Sayhi M, Azimi N, Akbari M, DAVARI DN, Bastami A. The relationship between menopausal symptoms, menopausal age and body mass index with depression in menopausal females of Ahvaz in 2012. 2015.
23.       Freeman EW, Sammel MD. Anxiety as a risk factor for menopausal hot flashes: evidence from the Penn Ovarian Aging cohort. Menopause (New York, NY). 2016;23(9):942.
24.       Doh R-M, Shin S, You TM. Delayed paresthesia of inferior alveolar nerve after dental surgery: case report and related pathophysiology. Journal of dental anesthesia and pain medicine. 2018;18(3):177-82.
25.       Andrabi SM-U-N, Alam S, Zia A, Khan MH, Kumar A. Mental nerve paresthesia secondary to initiation of endodontic therapy: a case report. Restorative dentistry & endodontics. 2014;39(3):215-9.
26.       KUPPERMAN HS, BLATT MH, WIESBADER H, FILLER W. Comparative clinical evaluation of estrogenic preparations by the menopausal and amenorrheal indices. The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. 1953;13(6):688-703.
27.       Ye Y-B, Tang X-Y, Verbruggen MA, Su Y-X. Soy isoflavones attenuate bone loss in early postmenopausal Chinese females. European journal of nutrition. 2006;45(6):327-34.
28.       Li R-x, Ma M, Xiao X-r, Xu Y, Chen X-y, Li B. Perimenopausal syndrome and mood disorders in perimenopause: prevalence, severity, relationships, and risk factors. Medicine. 2016;95(32).
29.       Koyuncu T, Unsal A, Arslantas D. Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Health Education on Menopause Symptoms and Knowledge and Attitude in Terms of Menopause. Journal of epidemiology and global health. 2018;8(1):8-12.
30.       Karmakar N, Majumdar S, Dasgupta A, Das S. Quality of life among menopausal females: A community-based study in a rural area of West Bengal. Journal of mid-life health. 2017;8(1):21.
31.       Perich T, Ussher J, Parton C. “Is it menopause or bipolar?”: a qualitative study of the experience of menopause for females with bipolar disorder. BMC females's health. 2017;17(1):110.
32.       Veras AB, Rassi A, Yukizaki LMG, Novo LD, Franco FS, Nardi AE. Impacto dos transtornos depressivos e ansiosos sobre as manifestações da menopausa. Revista de Psiquiatria do Rio Grande do Sul. 2007;29:315-20.
33.       Nappi RE, Albani F, Santamaria V, Tonani S, Magri F, Martini E, et al. Hormonal and psycho-relational aspects of sexual function during menopausal transition and at early menopause. Maturitas. 2010;67(1):78-83.
34.       Jonusiene G, Zilaitiene B, Adomaitiene V, Aniuliene R, Bancroft J. Sexual function, mood and menopause symptoms in Lithuanian postmenopausal females. Climacteric. 2012;16(1):185-93.
35.       Pérez-López FR, Fernández-Alonso AM, Trabalón-Pastor M, Vara C, Chedraui P, Group MRAR. Assessment of sexual function and related factors in mid-aged sexually active Spanish females with the six-item Female Sex Function Index. Menopause. 2012;19(11):1224-30.
36.       Lianjun P, Aixia Z, Zhong W, Feng P, Li B, Xiaona Y. Risk factors for low sexual function among urban Chinese females: A hospital‐based investigation. The journal of sexual medicine. 2011;8(8):2299-304.