Assessment of Psychological Status and Oxidative Stress in Postmenopausal Women: A Cross-Sectional Study.

objectivesDuring menopause, women may experience some physical changes that can affect their psychological status. Oxidative stress also increases with menopause, as decreasing levels of estrogen reinforce the deterioration of antioxidant status. To assess total antioxidative capacity, malondialdehyde, superoxide dismutase, and glutathione peroxidase and the correlation between psychological status and oxidative stress in postmenopausal women.

methodsThis cross-sectional study was undertaken on 100 postmenopausal women (40-59 years). Blood malondialdehyde, superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, and total antioxidative capacity were analyzed, and psychological status was assessed using Rosenberg's self-esteem test, Zung's self-rating anxiety scale, and Zung's self-rating depression scale.

resultsOf the women, 38.0% had mild to moderate symptoms of anxiety (mean ± standard deviation, 50.15 ± 4.89), 21.0% showed depression, and 19.0% had low self-esteem. Twelve percent of the study population had mild to moderate symptoms of all three disorders. A statistically significant difference was found in the scores of anxiety and self-esteem (

conclusionsWomen with depression, anxiety, and low self-esteem are in an oxidative challenge, which might be associated with estrogen depletion. A lower superoxide dismutase level is associated with higher depression and anxiety scores in postmenopausal women.