Bio-psycho-socio-cultural perspectives on menopause

The menopause transition is a bio-psycho-socio-cultural process. Recent prospective studies highlight the complex ways in which lifestyle and cultural factors influence women's experience of the menopause. For the majority of well women, the menopause is a relatively neutral event, although women living in Western countries in general report more symptoms than those from non-Western cultures. Hot flushes and night sweats are the main symptoms of the menopause, and while the exact physiological causes are unknown, the role of norepinephrine is implicated in lowering the threshold for flushing. Psychological factors – including anxiety, stress, thoughts and beliefs and self-esteem – influence the experience of hot flushes, and a cognitive behavioural model is described which is compatible with a bio-psycho-socio-cultural perspective. Relaxation and cognitive behavioural approaches appear to be acceptable to women, and there is some evidence for their efficacy, but larger controlled trials are needed.