(PS6-B48) The Moderating Effect of Age Beliefs on the Relationship Between Menopause Symptoms and Distress

Menopause, or the cessation of ovarian function and female reproduction, is accompanied by vasomotor symptoms such as hot flashes and night sweats that occur for a median of 7.4 years in women (Avis et al., 2015). Considering the high physical, mental, and emotional demand menopause places on women, it is critical to better understand the factors that reduce or exacerbate the impact of menopause symptoms. Negative beliefs about aging have been shown to have negative consequences on physical, cognitive, and mental health, especially when those beliefs are self-attributed (Levy, 2009). For example, Nosek et al. (2010) found that attitudes toward aging and attitudes toward menopause were significant predictors of menopause symptom intensity. Since menopause marks the end of reproduction and transition into older age for women, this time period is often accompanied by a change in purpose, self-identity, and self-esteem (Hunter & Rendall, 2007). It stands to reason that individuals who have strong negative beliefs about aging might experience the onset of menopause as a more stressful time period in their lives. For women with negative views of growing old, the onset of menopause could trigger negative thoughts about the future that are rooted in negative schemas about the process of aging.

There is currently a dearth of research on the impact of age beliefs on mental health during the transition to menopause. In this study, we test whether age beliefs moderate the relationship between menopause symptoms and distress. We are administering an online questionnaire to a large nationally representative sample (N = 200) of women aged 42-60 who are currently in early peri-menopause, late peri-menopause, or early post-menopause. The Images of Aging Scale (α = .83) will be used to determine participants’ age beliefs (Levy et al., 2004).We use a newly developed measure of menopause symptoms that allows for more breadth in assessing a range of vasomotor and non-vasomotor symptoms. To assess distress, we will administer the Mood and Anxiety Symptom Questionnaire (MASQ; Clark & Watson, 1991); this measure yields three factors (depression, anxiety, and general distress). Data collection is ongoing and will be complete in Spring 2022. Using multiple regression, we will examine the interaction between aging beliefs and menopause symptoms in predicting the three distress factors. We hypothesize that the relationship between menopause symptoms and distress will be significantly stronger among participants who have more negative beliefs about aging.