Understanding Menopause and Family Dynamics for Social Work Intervention

Abstract Background and objective Menopause is a phase of physiological, psychological, and social transformation in a woman’s life. The transformation extends beyond individual women, manifesting in familial dynamics through alterations in relationships, duties, and obligations. This cross-sectional study aimed to study family dynamics in relation to menopausal and socio-demographic profiles. It also provides knowledge on the Implications for Social Work practice. Methods The study was conducted using a semi-structured questionnaire sent via Google Forms and collected in person. The participants in this study included 220 women aged 40 years and older from Chennai and Chengalpattu districts in Tamil Nadu, India and were selected using a convenient sampling technique. Results The data indicated an association between the severity of menopausal symptoms and socio-demographic characteristics, including marital status, education, occupation, family structure, family income, locality, and religion. A three-cluster solution based on family dynamics was obtained from the hierarchical clustering dendrogram, and the 3 clusters show a significant association with the severity of menopausal symptoms ( P < .001). The regression model significantly predicted conflict with children. Increased symptom severity was associated with a greater likelihood of conflict (OR = 0.95, 95% CI: 0.92–0.98, p = .001), while greater family support was associated with a reduced likelihood of conflict (OR = 1.28, 95% CI: 1.05–1.57, p = .016). Conclusion The study advocates for Social Workers to adopt a family-centred approach to support menopausal women and their family members.