An Exploratory Clinical Study of Structured Psychological Intervention for Menopausal Symptom Management

Menopause is a multifaceted life transition marked by interacting physiological, psychological, and sociocultural changes. Symptom burden varies widely and is not fully explained by hormonal decline alone. Persistent psychological and cognitive symptoms highlight the need for integrative approaches that address underlying beliefs and emotional processes.

This study evaluated the effects of a structured, non-pharmacological psychological intervention targeting emotion regulation and cognitive appraisal on psychological, cognitive, and physical symptoms associated with perimenopause and menopause and assessed immediate and short-term outcomes.

A mixed-methods, exploratory, repeated-measures design was employed. Sixty-four women aged 39-60 years with moderate-to-severe menopausal symptoms participated in a single standardised therapeutic session. Symptom severity across 19 domains was assessed at baseline, immediately post-intervention, and at one- and four-week follow-up using a study-specific 19-item numerical rating scale (0-10). Quantitative analyses included paired t-tests and effect size estimation, complemented by qualitative self-report data.

Significant reductions were observed across all symptom domains following the intervention. Psychological and cognitive symptoms demonstrated large to very large effect sizes, with improvements sustained over follow-up. Physical and vasomotor symptoms showed moderate effect size magnitudes. 89% of assessed symptoms demonstrated large or very large effect sizes (Cohen's d ≥ 0.5).

The findings suggest that a structured, non-pharmacological psychological intervention may offer meaningful short-term benefits as an adjunctive approach for managing menopausal symptoms. Further randomised controlled studies are warranted to establish causal efficacy and long-term outcomes.