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Anxiety during the menopausal transition: a systematic review
Christina Bryant1, Fiona K Judd, Martha Hickey
1Psychological Sciences, University of Melbourne and Royal, Women's Hospital, Parkville, Vic 3052, Australia. Christina.Bryant@thewomens.org.au
Journal of Affective Disorders
|July 26, 2011
Summary
Anxiety levels during menopause are generally low, with no clear link to hot flashes. More rigorous studies are needed to understand anxiety symptoms in midlife women.
Area of Science:
- Reproductive Health
- Mental Health
- Women's Health
Background:
- Menopause is often associated with anxiety, but evidence is limited.
- The relationship between anxiety, menopause, and hot flashes requires further investigation.
- Existing research lacks robust methodologies for assessing anxiety during the menopausal transition.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically review the evidence on the relationship between menopause and anxiety.
- To examine the association between anxiety and hot flashes (vasomotor symptoms).
- To evaluate the quality of existing studies on menopause and anxiety.
Main Methods:
- Systematic literature review of studies published between 1960 and 2011.
- Searched Medline, Web of Science, and PsychINFO databases using keywords related to anxiety and menopause.
- Included studies reporting original research on anxiety measures or the anxiety-vasomotor symptom relationship.
Main Results:
- Identified studies on menopause-anxiety and anxiety-vasomotor symptom relationships.
- Found low anxiety symptom levels throughout the menopausal transition.
- Highlighted poor measurement of menopausal status and anxiety, with nonvalidated measures used.
Conclusions:
- Current studies lack sufficient data on anxiety disorders meeting diagnostic criteria.
- Evidence does not support "menopausal anxiety" as a distinct reproductive-related disorder.
- Future research must use validated measures and consider psychological variables to avoid confounding symptoms.
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