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Cognitive-Behavioral Intervention among Women with Slight Menopausal Symptoms: A Pilot Study

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 January 2013

Cristina Larroy García  and
Sonia Gutiérrez Gómez-Calcerrada
Cristina Larroy García*
Affiliation:
Universidad Complutense (Spain)
Sonia Gutiérrez Gómez-Calcerrada
Affiliation:
Universidad Complutense (Spain)
*
Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Cristina Larroy García. Dpto. de Personalidad, Evaluación y Tratamiento Psicológico I (Psicología Clínica). Facultad de Psicología. Universidad Complutense de Madrid. Campus de Somosaguas s/n Madrid 28223. (Spain). Phone: +34-913943121/23. Fax: +34-913943006. E-mail: clarroy@psi.ucm.es
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Abstract

Menopause is associated with a considerable variety of physical, psychological and social symptoms that can be treated using cognitive-behavioral techniques. In the present study, 21 women took part in an eight-week group intervention consisting of weekly two-hour sessions to address their slight symptoms related to the climacteric stage of life. The intervention included: psycho education on menopause, relaxation techniques, nutrition and fitness exercises, Kegel exercises, and problem-solving techniques. A control group was included that did not receive treatment and consisted of 28 women. The results revealed a significant reduction in most symptoms (including depression and anxiety) after intervention as compared to the baseline period. No changes appeared in the control group. The relevance of this work lies in the potential element of prevention this therapeutic package could offer to relieve various symptoms, slight and incipient, during the perimenopausal stage.

La menopausia aparece asociada a una importante variedad de síntomas físicos, psicológicos y sociales, susceptibles de ser tratados mediante técnicas cognitivo-conductuales. En este trabajo, 21 mujeres recibieron una intervención grupal de ocho sesiones semanales de dos horas para tratar la sintomatología leve relacionada con la etapa climatérica. La intervención incluía: psicoeducación en menopausia, técnicas de desactivación, entrenamiento en nutrición y ejercicio físico, ejercicios de Kegel y técnicas de solución de problemas. 28 mujeres constituyeron el grupo control, que no recibió tratamiento. Los resultados muestran una reducción significativa de la sintomatología asociada en todas las variables estudiadas (incluyendo depresión y ansiedad), con respecto al periodo de línea base, cambios que, por el contrario, no se observan en el grupo control. La relevancia del trabajo radica en el posible componente preventivo de este paquete terapéutico para diversos síntomas, todavía leves e incipientes, de la etapa perimenopáusica.

Keywords

menopausepsychological interventionslight symptomsmenopausiaintervención psicológicasintomatología leve
Type
Research Article
Information
The Spanish Journal of Psychology , Volume 14 , Issue 1 , May 2011 , pp. 344 - 355
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2011

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