Self-Awareness Counseling on Quality of Life of Menopausal Women

Counseling interventions are among the available strategies to improve the menopausal quality of life and self-awareness counseling is effective in improving adaptation, self-confidence and quality of life. Therefore, the present study aimed to examine effects of self-awareness counseling on quality of life of menopausal women in Gorgan, Iran.

In this clinical trial, we examined 52 menopause women referred to health centers of Gorgan, Iran in 2018. Data collection tools included a demographic characteristics form and the menopause-specific quality of life questionnaire. First, the control group completed the data collection tools at the beginning of the study and 6 and 10 weeks after the first session. Then the intervention group completed the tools at base line and participated in six 45-60-minute self-awareness-based group counseling sessions, once a week. After that, they were completed questionnaire, immediately and a month after the end of the intervention. Data were expressed as mean ± standard deviation.

In the intervention group, the baseline mean scores of menopausal quality of life and its vasomotor, physical, psychosocial and sexual domains were 55.69±19.47, 5.30±4.57, 30.26±12.24, 12.15±6.64 and 7.96±5.34, respectively. A month after the intervention, the mean scores of menopausal quality of life (30.42±19.64) and its vasomotor (2.65±2.33), physical (16.38±8.64), psychosocial (7.19±4.63) and sexual (4.19±3.42) domains increased significantly in the intervention group (p=0.001). In between group comparison, except for the psychosocial domain, the mean scores of quality of life and its various domains showed a statistically significant difference in one month after the intervention (P=0.001).

The menopausal quality of life and its various domains improved one month after the end of self-awareness counseling. Therefore, we recommend offering self-awareness counseling in health centers for improving the quality of life of menopausal women.