Psychosocial Aspects of Menopause a Pakistani Perspective: Assessment of Menopausal Symptoms and Identification of Psychosocial Factors Contributing to Menopausal Experience

Menopause is permenant cessation of menstruation which generally occurs in middle age of women. It is influenced not only by biological but also socio-cultural factors. Therefore, it is of crucial importance to address the nature of menopausal experiences indigenously. This research focuses on the psychosocial aspects of menopause in Pakistani women. It is conducted in two phases. In phase I, multidimensional Menopausal Symptoms Scale (MSS) was developed and validated. In phase II, the developed scale was used in the main study to assess psychosocial factors as well as moderators of menopausal symptoms. To examine the psychosocial aspects of menopausal symptoms, a sample of 220 Pakistani women was interviewed by using MSS with other study scales. A series of hierarchical multiple regression analysis was performed and results indicated that menopausal status, social support, attitude towards aging and menopause, life style, gynecological history and socio-demographic characteristics were associated with menopausal symptoms.