Can Childhood Abuse Trigger Worse Menopause Symptoms?

Highlights:

Women who suffered childhood abuse are more likely to have worse menopause symptoms
Experiencing psychosocial stressors such as physical or sexual abuse and financial instability from childhood through pregnancy can lead to unpleasant symptoms of menopause and poor well-being even after 2 decades

A new study suggests having a past history of abuse from childhood through pregnancy can worsen menopause symptoms and result in poorer well-being among women in midlife.//

Adversity occurring early on in a woman’s life will likely continue to take its toll physically and mentally for years after those stressors have been removed. Women affected by psychosocial stressors may be physically abused, sexually abused, or financially unstable in their childhood and youth, which can lead to a worsening of menopause symptoms decades later. The Study results are published online in Menopause, the journal of The North American Menopause Society (NAMS).

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‘Past history of abuse can adversely affect woman’s health and worsen menopause symptoms.’
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What are the Common Symptoms of Menopause?

Menopause is often accompanied by a number of symptoms that adversely affect a woman’s quality of life, including hot flashes, sleep disturbances, depressive symptoms, and sexual dysfunction. However, not all women’s menopause experiences are the same, with some women having much more severe issues. There are many reasons for the differences.

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Link Between Past History of Abuse and Worse Menopause Symptoms

In this study involving nearly 700 women, researchers sought to connect a history of psychosocial stressors from childhood through pregnancy with worse menopause symptoms.

Although previous studies have attempted to demonstrate the long-term adverse effects of various forms of abuse, many of them were small or focused more on current abuse. This study specifically focused on the history of stressors as reported at the time of pregnancy and their connection with a woman’s health during midlife 15 to 20 years later.

Within this study group, a history of physical abuse was reported by 37.3% of the participants who also reported worse menopause symptoms and worse general health, as well as greater depressive symptoms. Another 7.7% reported a history of sexual abuse, which was also associated with worse symptoms during the menopause transition, as well as worse general health. However, there was no documented correlation with depressive symptoms.

A history of financial instability was associated with worse menopause symptoms, worse general health, and greater depressive symptoms. There was no association, however, between psychosocial stressors and generalized anxiety symptoms assessed at midlife.

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How Does Psychosocial Stressors Affect Women's Health?

Based on study results, the researchers concluded that psychosocial stressors were associated with worse menopause symptoms and well-being decades after the initial report. These results highlight the long-lasting influence of adverse experiences on women's physical and mental health and emphasize the importance of a past history of psychosocial stressors when considering the health of women in midlife.

Study results are published in the article “Longitudinal associations of psychosocial stressors with menopausal symptoms and well-being among women in midlife.”

“This study provides additional evidence to support the link between adversity earlier in life with worse menopause symptoms and poorer well-being in midlife women. Additional study is needed to better understand the effect of cumulative exposure to chronic and repeated stress on the health of women in midlife and beyond,” says Dr. Stephanie Faubion, NAMS medical director.

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Reference:

Longitudinal associations of psychosocial stressors with menopausal symptoms and well-being among women in midlife- (http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/GME.0000000000002056)

Source-Eurekalert