Life stress and the climacteric

Abstract

Life stress, characteristic climacteric symptoms, physical and psychological distress were examined in three age groups distributed around the climacteric (36–45 years; 46–55 years; 56–55 years). Women in the climacteric period (46–55 years) reported more vasomotor symptoms, while more sleeping disturbances and depressive moods were found in the eldest group. Stressful life events, including exits, were not found to occur more frequently during the climacteric nor did climacteric women perceive a higher negative impact of stressful life events. A relatively high negative impact of these life events was associated with physical and psychological discomfort in all age groups. No additional influence of a relatively high impact of life events and the occurrence of exits on the reported complaints was found during the climacteric.