Menopause: social expectations, women's realities

The experience of menopause, and the ramifications of that experience for psychiatric treatment, is significantly shaped by social and historical context and by the implicit and explicit expectations they arouse in women. American society is heavily youth-oriented. Although in fact many women experi...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Archives of women's mental health 2002-08, Vol.5 (1), p.5-8
Main Author: Stotland, N L
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Aged
Aging - psychology
Family Relations
Fear
Female
Gender Identity
Hormone Replacement Therapy
Humans
Medical treatment
Menopause
Menopause - psychology
Mental health
Middle Aged
Mother-Child Relations
Self Concept
Sexuality
Social Conditions
Women
Citations: Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:The experience of menopause, and the ramifications of that experience for psychiatric treatment, is significantly shaped by social and historical context and by the implicit and explicit expectations they arouse in women. American society is heavily youth-oriented. Although in fact many women experience this time as one of liberation and self-actualization, society views them as bereft of their families and devoid of sexual interest. Their expectations for their social roles at this time of life may not comport with those of their children. The emphasis on hormone treatment, incorrectly termed "replacement," has exacerbated women's fears of aging.
ISSN:1434-1816
1435-1102
DOI:10.1007/s007370200016