Compared to the general population, the incidence of anxiety in perimenopausal women was relatively greater and was associated with impaired quality of life in perimenopausal women in a questionnaire-based study.
Vasomotor symptoms in perimenopausal women have a significant effect on the quality of life of perimenopausal women. In addition to these symptoms, perimenopausal women also experience mental health issues and cognitive decline. The physical symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) include restlessness, muscle aches, insomnia, fatigue, and others.
In the current study, the authors investigated the combined effects of vasomotor symptoms and anxiety in perimenopausal women. The findings are published in the Rawal Medical Journal.
Baseline Characteristics
The study included 346 females with vasomotor symptoms aged 30–70 years. Based on the Composite Symptom Severity Score (CSSI), the patients were divided into three groups. These groups were further divided into four categories based on anxiety level. The CSSI < 50 group included 11 patients aged 30–40 years, 43 patients aged 41–50 years, 47 patients aged 51–60 years, and 26 patients aged 61–70 years. The CSSI 50–100 group included 3 patients aged 30–40 years, 59 patients aged 41–50 years, 84 patients aged 51–60 years, and 16 patients aged 61–70 years. The CSSI > 100 group included 23 patients aged 41–50 years, 31 patients aged 51–60 years, and 3 patients aged 61–70 years.
Generalized Anxiety Disorder and Low Composite Symptom Severity Score Group
Younger females (aged 30–40 years) in the CSSI < 50 group were found to have a greater incidence of severe anxiety compared to other participants in the group. Women in the 5th and 6th decades also had severe anxiety based on the GAD scale.
Generalized Anxiety Disorder and Moderate Composite Symptom Severity Score Group
In the CSSI 51–100 group, younger females (aged 30–40 years) had moderate anxiety scores. Females in the 5th and 6th decades mostly had moderate and severe anxiety scores on the GAD scale.
Generalized Anxiety Disorder and High Composite Symptom Severity Scores
None of the younger females (aged 30–40 years) with CSSI scores > 100 had high anxiety scores on the GAD scale. The elderly females (age 61–70 years) in this group had intermediate anxiety scores on the GAD scale. The majority of the women in the 5th and 6th decades had high anxiety scores on the GAD scale.
Source:
Rana, M. M., Gani, D., Alia, A., Afzal, M. W., Aimen, U. A., & Zulfiqar, N. (2024, February 14). Coexisting Generalized Anxiety Disorder add fuel to the fire of severity of Perimenopausal Vasomotor Symptoms affecting quality of life. Rawal Medical Journal. https://www.rmj.org.pk/index.php?mno=167955
