Hormonal Changes, Mood Disturbances, and Sleep: Understanding the Triad in Menopausal Women

The present study employed a cross-sectional design with a quantitative methodology to examine the relationship among menopausal symptoms, depressive symptoms, and mood disorders in a sample of 120 women aged 40–60 years from both rural and urban areas of Sialkot, selected through purposive sampling. Data were collected using a self-developed demographic sheet (in Urdu), the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS), the Mood Disorder Questionnaire (MDQ), and the Menopause Rating Scale (MRS). Results revealed that the majority of participants were housewives living in joint families, with a predominant representation of Muslim women and nearly equal distribution between rural and urban areas. Descriptive statistics showed acceptable reliability for the MRS (α = .723), moderate reliability for HDRS (α = .528), and relatively low reliability for MDQ (α = .342). A significant positive correlation was found between MRS and HDRS (r = .351, p < .05), indicating that more severe menopausal symptoms were associated with higher depressive symptoms, while MDQ showed no significant relationship with either MRS or HDRS. Multiple regression analysis revealed that depressive symptoms (HDRS) significantly predicted the severity of menopausal symptoms (β = .360, p < .001), whereas mood disorder symptoms (MDQ) did not. These findings underscore the significant impact of depression on menopausal symptom severity and highlight the need for targeted psychological interventions to enhance the well-being of menopausal women.