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An absence of evidence linking perceived memory problems to the menopause
Nicola Ford1, Pauline Slade, Gary Butler
1Psychological Health Sheffield, Northern General Hospital, Sheffield.
Background:
Little is known about the prevalence of subjective or perceived memory difficulties in the general population. This is of particular interest in the field of menopause as self-reported memory difficulties make up a large proportion of complaints by women presenting at specialist menopause clinics. There is also a general assumption that memory problems increase with age.
Aim:
To investigate the prevalence of perceived memory difficulties in women to establish whether there are variations with menopausal status and age.
Design Of Study:
Cross-sectional questionnaire study.
Setting:
Sheffield, United Kingdom.
Method:
Standardised questionnaires assessing subjective memory, mood and menopausal symptoms were sent to a random sample of 400 women, aged 25-64 years, identified from a general practice list. Menopausal status and demographic details were also recorded. Two hundred and two women responded, giving a response rate of 50.5%.
Results:
The prevalence of perceived memory difficulties was low, and did not differ on the basis of menopausal status or age. Anxiety and depressive symptoms were the main significant predictors of perceived memory difficulties.
Conclusion:
Perceived memory difficulties are not specific to particular stages of the life cycle or age, but are experienced to a greater degree by those with high levels of depressive or anxiety symptoms.
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