Psychology In The News: Talking During Menopause

New research suggests that psychosocial therapies including mindfulness, group counselling, and cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) could be effective treatments for menopause symptoms, such as low mood and anxiety. The research, published in the Journal of Affective Disorders, was a meta-analysis of 30 studies involving over 3,500 women across 14 countries.

Unlike the biological treatment of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) which replaces oestrogen and progesterone, these psychosocial therapies aim to enable women to understand the link between negative or irrational thoughts such as ‘hot flushes make everyone judge me’, in addition to exploring how these thoughts influence behaviour and mood to ultimately make the experience of menopause worse. Furthermore, therapies aim to develop positive coping strategies and relaxation techniques. Researchers found that women showed statistically significant improvements in anxiety and depression after CBT and mindfulness in comparison to no treatment.

CBT, group therapies and mindfulness were also found to improve sleep quality, memory, concentration, and overall quality of life. The therapies may help women feel more confident in managing common menopausal challenges that can lead to avoidance of situations and leaving work.

Professor Aimee Spector notes there are clear links between the physical and psychological symptoms of menopause that can create vicious cycles. Hot flushes can trigger anxiety about having more hot flushes. Poor sleep from night sweats can cause depression, which then disrupts sleep further. ‘CBT aims to counter these negative cycles by getting people to use strategies to think about different ways of looking at things’ Spector explained. Techniques may include reducing avoidance through exposure exercises.

The researchers suggest these non-medical therapies could provide additional affordable options for managing menopause symptoms alongside or instead of HRT, which draft NHS guidelines now recommend. CBT may be particularly cost-effective by achieving results over a shorter timeframe and receiving therapy as part of a group.

ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS!

The researchers in this article are named as follows:

Aimee Spector, Zishi Li, Lexi He, Yasmeen Badawy, Roopal Desai

This article will be published in the Journal of Affective Disorders, volume 352 on pages 460-472. It has been released online but will be formally published in May 2024. All the researchers are from University College, London. The full title of the research paper is: The effectiveness of psychosocial interventions on non-physiological symptoms of menopause: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

1. Write an appropriate reference for the original research that this blog is based on, the information that you need to do this can be found above.
2. This research appeared in a peer-reviewed journal. Outline the process of peer reviews.
3. This study conducted a meta-analysis of research into talking therapies in menopausal women, what is a meta-analysis?
4. The therapies outlined in this blog may help women feel more confident in managing common menopausal challenges (e.g. hot flushes) which could lead to avoidance of situations and leaving work. How could this piece of research be said to have economic implications?
5. How could social influence research such as normative and informational social influence be used to encourage women to engage in talking therapies?