INFLUENCES OF NATURAL MENOPAUSE ON PSYCHOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS AND SYMPTOMS OF MIDDLE-AGED HEALTHY WOMEN

We investigated the psychological and symptom consequences of the natural menopause in a longitudinal study of 541 initially premenopausal healthy women. All women were given an extensive evaluation at baseline. After 3 years of follow-up, 69 women ceased cycling for 12 months; another 32 women had ceased cycling and had taken hormone replacement therapy for a total of 12 months. These women were reevaluated in a clinic examination identical with the baseline examination, as were 101 age-matched premenopausal control women. Comparison among groups at the baseline and follow-up examination showed that natural menopause led to few changes in psychological characteristics, with only a decline in introspectiveness and an increase in reports of hot flashes being apparent. We conclude that natural menopause did not have negative mental health consequences for the majority of middle-aged healthy women.