Association between Perceived Social Support, Attitude and Depression among Menopausal Women

Aging is an important fact to consider from the woman’s health perspective. One of the most significant stages of aging is menopause, in which involves physical, psychological, and social changes in life. Aim of the study: explore the association between perceived social support, depression and attitudes among menopausal women. Setting: the study was conducted in gynecologic outpatient clinic affiliated to National Medical Institute in Damanhour City, ElBeheira Governorate. Subjects: A convenience sample of 250 menopausal women was recruited in the study. Tools: four tools were used to collect the data: Basic Data, Structured Interview Schedule, Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, The Beck Depression Inventory, and Attitudes towards Menopause Scale (ATMS). Findings : the study revealed that, statistical significant positive relationship was found between perceived social support and attitude toward menopause (P=0.005). While, statistical significant negative relationship was found between perceived social support and depression (P= 0.002). Conclusion: social support plays a significant role in alleviating feeling of depression and improving women's attitude toward menopausal changes. Recommendations: the nurses should be assess attitude and levels of depression among menopausal women periodically. Educational programs should be carried out for women's families to provide them with information regarding the importance of social support for women during menopause.