The Investigation of theEffect of Group Cognitive-behavioral Counseling on Stress and Anxiety in Menopausal Women: ARandomized Clinical Trial

Backgroundand objectives: Several reasons have been identified as the causesof menopause anxiety and stress. Among these causes, diseases and symptoms associated with estrogen deficiency such assleep disturbances and hot flashes as well as cultural issues such as negative attitudes towards menopause can be mentioned.Consultation can be usefulto assist women in coping with these changes and reduce problems.Therefore, the objective of this study was todetermine the effect of thecognitive-behavioral therapy on stress andanxiety in post-menopausal women inTuyserkan, Iran. Materials and method: In this randomized clinical trial, 76 menopausal women who referred to health centers of Tuyserkan from September to December 2016 participated in this study. Six CBT sessions were held. The Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-21) was applied. After completing six CBT sessions and also one month later, the measurements were done. The data were analyzed using the Mann-Whitney and Friedman tests. Results: Comparisons of stress and anxiety scores between the two groups before initiating CBT was not significant (P> 0.05). Within-group comparisons of stress and anxiety scores before and after CBT and one month later showed significant changes in CBT group (P< 0.001). These changes were not significant in thecontrol group(P> 0.05). Conclusion: It is suggested to use CBT for menopausal women to improve the quality of life of this group

کلیدواژه ها:

stress ، anxiety ، menopause ، cognitive-behavioral therapy