Women,Marital Status,and Symptoms of Depression in a Midlife National Sample

ABSTRACT

Previous studies of the correlates of depression among women have not generally been based on adequate midlife samples or precision in the specification of marital status categories. The present analysis is designed to address these deficiencies and is based on data from the Health and Retirement Survey-Wave 1 (i.e., respondents 51 to 61 years old). Results indicate that married women are less likely to report symptoms of depression than their unmarried counterparts. The mental health benefits of marriage are greater for men than for women. Moreover, other variables, such as marital satisfaction, self-rated health, and employment status are more powerful predictors of emotional well-being in midlife than marital status per se. The quality of marriage affects depressive symptoms more strongly for women than men.     

Effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on perinatal mental health in Spain: Positive and negative outcomes

BackgroundPrevious studies have shown that perinatal distress has a negative influence on pregnancy outcome and the physiological development of the baby.ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to describe the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on maternal perinatal mental health in Spain.MethodsSeven hundred and twenty-four women (N = 450 pregnancy, N = 274 postpartum) were recruited online during the pandemic. The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule, and the Satisfaction With Life Scale were administered. Variables related to sociodemographic information, the COVID-19 pandemic, and perinatal care were also assessed.FindingsThe results showed that 58% of women reported depressive symptoms. Moreover, 51% of women reported anxiety symptoms. On the other hand, a regression analysis for life satisfaction showed that besides the perception about their own health, marital status or being a health practitioner were also significant predictors during pregnancy. However, perception about baby’s health and sleep, perception about their own health, and marital status were significant predictors of life satisfaction during the postpartum stage.DiscussionWomen assessed during the COVID-19 pandemic reported high rates of psychological distress.ConclusionThese results highlight the need of clinical support during this period. Knowing the routes to both distress and well-being may help maternity services to effectively cope with the pandemic.     

Menopause Symptoms' Predictors: The Influence of Lifestyle,Health- and Menopause-Related,and Sociodemographic Characteristics

This research explores a causal model of menopausal symptoms in peri- and postmenopausal women. A community sample of 710 women was assessed regarding menopausal symptoms, and sociodemographic, health- and menopause-related, and lifestyle characteristics. Structural equation modelling was used. Menopausal status predicted skin/facial hair changes (β = .156; p <.001), vasomotor (β = .122; p <.001) and sexual symptoms (β = .158; p <.001). Age was significantly associated with cognitive impairment (β = .087; p = .003), aches/pain (β = .072; p = .006), urinary (β = .115; p = .004) and also sexual symptoms (β = .107; p = .021). Several menopausal symptoms are predicted, not only by menopausal status, but also by age progression, among other variables; this should be considered in the context of a well-adapted menopausal transition.     

Body esteem and self-esteem in middle-aged women

The aims of the study were (a) to identify predictors of body esteem and (b) to expand on previous research by examining the link between global self-esteem and body esteem in a community-based sample of women in midlife. We found that body esteem in midlife women was predicted by body mass index (BMI), optimism, self-esteem, and menopausal symptoms. Although BMI was the main predictor of body esteem in middle-aged women, global self-esteem was more strongly related to feelings about appearance and physical condition than feelings about body size.     

Personal Project Content and Stress: Relations to Subjective Health and Depressive Mood

The aim of this study was to examine how personal project stress and stress related to different personal project contents are associated with subjective health and depressive mood among adults. Participants were 343 men and women (20–76 years old), who responded to the questionnaire including the Little’s Personal Project Analysis, and health and depression measures. As expected, high personal project stress was related to lower perceived general health, greater number of health complaints, and higher level of depressive mood. Further analysis showed that general health, health complaints, and depressive mood were predicted by stress related to specific personal project contents.     

Good Mothers Never Wane: Mothering at Menopause

ABSTRACT

Due to recent feminist scholarship, we know a considerable amount about women's mothering identities and activities, as well as the impact of mothering ideology on individual women. Nonetheless there are gaps in our knowledge about motherhood. For instance, we know mostly about experiences of mothers with young children, and an implicit assumption is that mothers are also fairly young themselves. Yet, what about mothers at midlife and beyond? What about menopausal mothers? This paper represents an initial attempt to explore motherhood experiences of middle-aged menopausal women. Findings presented in this article are based on 45 in-depth interviews with middle-class, heterosexual menopausal women in a midwestern state in 2001. Findings suggest that motherwork and the maintenance of “good” mothering ideology are still primary activities of women at menopause despite assumptions that menopausal women have completed mothering experiences and are now grandmothers (if caregivers at all). In analyzing menopausal mothers, I encourage broader explorations of women's experiences of both motherhood and menopause.     

Maternal mental health in Australia and New Zealand: A review of longitudinal studies

AimThe aim of this paper is to describe the factors that impact on the mental health of Australian and New Zealand (NZ) women in the perinatal period (pregnancy and the year following birth), and to determine the impact of perinatal mental health on women's subsequent health by summarising findings from prospective longitudinal studies conducted in Australia and NZ.MethodsA systematic search was conducted using the databases, Scopus, Medline, PsychInfo and Health Source to identify prospective longitudinal studies focused on women's social and emotional health in the perinatal period. Forty-eight papers from eight longitudinal studies were included.ResultsThe proportion of women reporting depressive symptoms in the first year after birth was between 10 and 20% and this has remained stable over 25 years. The two strongest predictors for depression and anxiety were previous history of depression and poor partner relationship. Importantly, women's mood appears to be better in the first year after birth, when compared to pregnancy and five years later. Becoming a mother at a young age is by itself not a risk factor unless coupled with social disadvantage. Women report a high number of stressors in pregnancy and following birth and the rate of intimate partner violence reported is worryingly high.ConclusionMidwives have an important role in the identification, support and referral of women experiencing mental health problems. As many women do not seek help from mental health services, the potential for a known midwife to impact on women's mental health warrants further examination.     

The contribution of group prenatal care to maternal psychological health outcomes: A systematic review

ProblemPoor mental health remains a significant cause of morbidity for childbearing women globally.BackgroundGroup care has been shown to be effective in reducing select clinical outcomes, e.g., the rate of preterm birth, but less is known about the effect of Group Prenatal Care (GPC) on mental health outcomes of stress, depression and anxiety in pregnant women.AimTo conduct a systematic review of the current evidence of the effect of group pregnancy care on mental health and wellbeing outcomes (i.e., stress, depression and/or anxiety) in childbearing women.MethodsA comprehensive search of published studies in Medline, PsychInfo, CINAHL, ProQuest databases, ClinicalTrials.gov and Google Scholar. Databases were systematically searched without publication period restriction until Feb 2020. Inclusion criteria were randomized controlled trials (including quasi-experimental) and observational studies comparing group care with standard pregnancy care. Included were studies published in English, whose primary outcome measures were stress, depression and/or anxiety.ResultsNine studies met the inclusion criteria, five randomized controlled trials and four observational studies, involving 1585 women (39%) in GPC and 2456 women (61%) in standard (individual) pregnancy care. Although evidence is limited, where targeted education was integrated into the group pregnancy care model, significant reductions in depressive symptoms were observed. In addition, secondary analysis across several studies identified a subset of GPC women, i.e., higher risk for psychological symptoms, who reported a decrease in their depression, stress and anxiety symptoms, postpartum. Due to the diversity of group care structure and content and the lack of outcomes measures universally reported, a comprehensive meta-analysis could not be performed.ConclusionThe evidence suggests improvements in some markers of psychological health outcomes with group pregnancy care. Future research should involve larger well-designed studies encompassing cross-population data using a validated scale that is comparable across diverse childbearing populations and clinical settings to better understand the impact of group pregnancy care.     

Gender Differences in the Association Between Stress Trajectories and Depressive Symptoms Among Middle Aged and Older Adults in Taiwan

Purpose: This study investigated the effects of gender differences on the association of chronic stress and depressive symptoms in middle-aged and older adults in Taiwan. Methods: The population base was of adults aged 50 and older in Taiwan. This study included 2,889 participants and examined the gender differences on the impacts of life stress that exhibited depressive symptoms. Results: Females were more susceptible to depressive symptoms when they felt constant stress from finances, increasing stress from jobs, and fluctuating stress from family relationships. Discussion: Gender differences were evident when assuming social roles, as were psychological susceptibilities.     

Is Subjective Status Influenced by Psychosocial Factors?

Objective Associations between subjective status and health are still relatively unexplored. This study aimed at testing whether subjective status is uniquely confounded by psychosocial factors compared to objective status, and what factors that may predict subjective status. Design A cross-sectional analysis of a population-based, random sample of 795 middle-aged men and women from the southeast of Sweden. Questionnaires included subjective status, objective measures of socioeconomic status, life satisfaction, and a battery of psychosocial factors. Associations were controlled for effects of age and sex. Results Both subjective status and occupation were significantly associated with self-rated health also after control for psychosocial factors. Stepwise regression showed that subjective status was significantly influenced by self-rated economy, education, life satisfaction, self-esteem, trust, perceived control, and mastery. Conclusion The association between subjective status and self-rated health does not seem to be uniquely confounded by psychosocial factors. Both resource-based measures and psychological dimensions seem to influence subjective status ratings. Comparative studies are required to study whether predictors of subjective status vary between countries with different socio-political profiles.     

Body image,satisfaction with sexual life,self-esteem,and anxiodepressive symptoms: A comparative study between premenopausal,perimenopausal, and postmenopausal women

Menopause is an important life transition in women, and it is associated with significant physical and psychological changes. This study aimed at examining how the menopausal transition influences body image and satisfaction with sexual life. To this aim, body image dissatisfaction, sexual dissatisfaction, and self-esteem were compared in three groups of women with distinct menopausal status (premenopausal n = 142, perimenopausal n = 66, or postmenopausal n = 149), while controlling for depressive and anxiety symptoms and BMI. Using ANOVA between these three groups, we observed that dissatisfaction with body image was significantly higher in the perimenopausal sample compared with its premenopausal counterpart. In the postmenopausal sample, body image improved, as this group displayed body image scores close to the premenopausal level. In addition, sexual dissatisfaction was significantly increased in the perimenopausal and postmenopausal samples, which is compatible with the concept that higher body appreciation positively predicted sexual function. We conclude that body image dissatisfaction reaches a maximum during the perimenopausal phase, before returning to a level nearly identical between the premenopausal and the postmenopausal phases.     

Self-regulation in older Thai women with self-reported knee osteoarthritis: A path analysis

Abstract

This study aimed at testing factors influencing coping behavior and health status among older women with knee osteoarthritis. A total of 274 participants completed questionnaires. Model testing revealed that self-efficacy was the most powerful predictor of coping behavior. Illness representation had a significant direct and indirect effect on health status and was a better predictor of health status than were the other variables. Understanding the complex relationships among study variables should help to tailor future interventions to better address the symptoms of osteoarthritis and to promote optimal health in older Thai women who report knee osteoarthritis.     

Perceived social support and prenatal wellbeing; The mediating effects of loneliness and repetitive negative thinking on anxiety and depression during the COVID-19 pandemic

ProblemPrenatal depression and anxiety are linked to poor maternal and infant outcomes. We need to understand predictors of poor mental health to identify at-risk women, and targets for support.BackgroundPrevious research has demonstrated a relationship between low levels of perceived social support, and depression and anxiety in pregnant women. However, there is a lack of research into the factors that may mediate this relationship.AimAs social distancing measures (e.g., lockdown) are likely to negatively affect women’s perceived support in the prenatal period, we investigated the relationship between perceived social support and both anxiety and depression in UK-based pregnant women during the COVID-19 pandemic. Further, we examined two potential mediators that may contribute to psychological symptoms: repetitive negative thinking and loneliness.MethodsWe administered a battery of online measures to a sample of pregnant women (N = 205) between May-June 2020, during the first peak of the pandemic in the UK, when perceived social support was likely to be low.ResultsConsistent with predictions, perceived social support was significantly negatively related to depression, anxiety, loneliness and repetitive negative thinking. Furthermore, repetitive negative thinking and loneliness mediated the relationship between perceived social support and both depression and anxiety. Moreover, perceived social support and loneliness were associated with specific types of online behaviours.ConclusionsTaken together, the findings shed light on the processes through which social support may exert its effects on depression and anxiety and highlight potential therapeutic targets for interventions which aim to prevent and treat mood disorders in perinatal cohorts.     

Depressive Symptoms of Caregiving Women in Midlife: The Role of Physical Health

ABSTRACT

This research examined the relationships between providing assistance to aging family members, caregivers' age, caregivers' perceptions of their physical health, and caregivers' depressive symptoms. Several alternative hypotheses were examined. Longitudinal data from 1, 898 women from the 1992 and 2000 waves of the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) were used. Results indicate a reciprocal relationship between depression and physical health. These processes were examined using a path analysis. Although the evidence only supported one of the hypotheses, this study clearly demonstrated the importance of physical health for the psychological well-being of women in midlife.     

The impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on birth satisfaction in a prospective cohort of 2,341 U.S. women

ProblemBirth satisfaction is an important health outcome that is related to postpartum mood, infant caretaking, and future pregnancy intention.BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic profoundly affected antenatal care and intrapartum practices that may reduce birth satisfaction.AimTo investigate the extent to which pandemic-related factors predicted lower birth satisfaction.Methods2341 women who were recruited prenatally in April–May 2020 and reported a live birth between April–October 2020 were included in the current analysis. Hierarchical linear regression to predict birth satisfaction from well-established predictors of birth satisfaction (step 1) and from pandemic-related factors (step 2) was conducted. Additionally, the indirect associations of pandemic-related stress with birth satisfaction were investigated.FindingsThe first step of the regression explained 35% of variance in birth satisfaction. In the second step, pandemic-related factors explained an additional 3% of variance in birth satisfaction. Maternal stress about feeling unprepared for birth due to the pandemic and restrictions on companions during birth independently predicted lower birth satisfaction beyond the non-pandemic variables. Pandemic-related unpreparedness stress was associated with more medicalized birth and greater incongruence with birth preference, thus also indirectly influencing birth satisfaction through a mediation process.DiscussionWell-established contributors to birth satisfaction remained potent during the pandemic. In addition, maternal stress and restriction on accompaniment to birth were associated with a small but significant reduction in birth satisfaction.ConclusionStudy findings suggest that helping women set flexible and reasonable expectations for birth and allowing at least one intrapartum support person can improve birth satisfaction.     

Elements of Social Capital and Academic Performance of Undergraduate Students

Lifetime childlessness has increased in Europe. The relationship between childlessness and psychological wellbeing varies by the wellbeing measures employed, life stage and societal context. Health-related predictors of childlessness (health selection) may mediate the relationship between childlessness and wellbeing and/or influence wellbeing directly. This paper examines the relationship between lifetime childlessness, depressive mood and quality of life in early old age using data from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) (N = 21,295). Region-specific Ordinary Least Squares Analysis is performed to investigate this relationship and the mediating roles of health selection and marital status are explored. No main effect of childlessness is observed in any of the regions net of socio-demographic, economic and health factors. The significant role of health selection in this relationship is only evident in Eastern Europe. The findings of this study support a more in-depth analysis of the role of marital status in mediating the relationship between childlessness and psychological wellbeing. Consistent relationships between marital status and both measures of wellbeing support further analysis of marital selection in this regard.     

The impact of women's status on infant mortality rate: A cross-national analysis

A number of prior studies have attempted to account for cross-national differences in infant mortality rate using a variety of economic, demographic, and health related variables. These studies have given relatively little attention to the impact of predictors measuring the status of women. The present study, based on a sample of 96 less developed countries circa 1990, tests a series of hypotheses derived from gender stratification theory and industrialism theory. Evidence is presented of an inverse relationship between the status of women and infant mortality rate. The present study shows that it makes a difference whether we use relative or absolute measures of women's status and it shows that in addition to women's educational status, other dimensions of women's status particularly economic status and autonomy are also important predictors of infant mortality rate.     

Attitude Toward Menopause and Aging: A Study on Postmenopausal Women of West Bengal

We examined the attitude of postmenopausal women toward menopause and aging with respect to sociodemographic variables and postmenopausal years. Four hundred and eighty postmenopausal women representing Bengali-speaking Hindu ethnic group of West Bengal, India were interviewed about their attitude toward menopause and aging. Information on sociodemographic and reproductive characteristics and menopausal symptoms were also collected. The participants were categorized into four groups based on postmenopausal years (Group 1: ≤2; Group 2: >2 to ≤5; Group 3: >5 to ≤8; and Group 4: >8). The attitude did not differ significantly among different groups, but it differed significantly when compared for residential status and per capita monthly household expenditure (pooled groups), for residential and educational status (Groups 3 and 4), and per capita monthly household expenditure (Group 3). Hierarchical linear regression (stepwise) shows per capita monthly expenditure, age at menopause, years after menopause, and menopausal symptoms (irritability and inability to hold urine) significantly predict attitude.     

Age at the onset of menopause and its influencing factors in Turkish women in a rural area

This study was performed to identify menopausal age and its determining factors in women over 40 residing in the Dogubeyazit district of Agri, located in Eastern Turkey. This cross-sectional study was performed on a sample of 1,068 women, selected by simple random sampling among all district health center records of women aged 40 and greater, who were each attributed a random serial number. While 35.6% of the subjects had not yet reached menopause, 60.5% had entered it spontaneously and 3.9% surgically. Average age at spontaneous menopause was 47.4 ± 3.7 years and that of surgical menopause 45.1 ± 5.0. Age at marriage, age of last pregnancy, and the age of the subject’s mother at menopause affected menopausal status. Identifying menopausal age and its determining factors may modify the menopausal status of women and their management of the perimenopausal period.