A matter of mind over menopause

IT IS a less drastic solution than HRT to battle menopausal mood swings.

Mindfulness, popular with celebrities from Emma Watson to Angelina Jolie, could help with anxiety, depression and irritability for women in midlife.

A study has found women going through the menopause get relief from the psychological symptoms if they think more mindfully.

Researchers questioned more than 1,700 women on how mindful they were in everyday life and their problems with anxiety, low mood and anger. It is believed mindfulness stops people dwelling on negative thoughts by keeping their mind in the present.

Women who lived their lives the least ‘automatically’, paying more attention to their daily activities, were least afflicted by the menopause. Dr Richa Sood, who led the study from the Mayo Clinic in the US, said: ‘We found that midlife women with higher mindfulness scores experienced fewer menopausal symptoms. These findings suggest mindfulness may be a promising tool to help reduce menopausal symptoms and overall stress.’

Former Countdown star Carol Vorderman has spoken about her depression during the menopause, which she said left her ‘at my lowest ebb’. And broadcaster Fiona Phillips has also said it left her feeling ‘worthless’ and ‘horrible’.

The US study asked 1,744 women aged 40 to 65 about the symptoms of menopause, from anxiety to sleep and sexual problems. They were then asked 15 questions aimed at judging their mindfulness.

They were asked how strongly they agreed with statements such as, ‘I do jobs or tasks automatically, without being aware of what I’m doing’, or, ‘I find myself listening to someone with one ear, doing something else at the same time’.

Mindfulness was not found to improve hot flushes and night sweats, as it was in other studies, but those who were most mindful were least anxious and depressed.