These findings are based on data collected from 682 women for Project Viva—a prospective cohort enrolled in 1999 to 2002 during pregnancy whom researchers followed for almost 2 decades. In pregnancy, women self-reported psychosocial stressors like past physical/sexual abuse and financial instability, from childhood to current pregnancy. At the time, the median age was 33.3 years.1

Nearly 20 years later, they reported their menopausal symptoms on a 0- to 44-point scale and rated their wellbeing on a scale from excellent to poor. For this component, researchers compared ‘good/fair/poor’ ratings with ‘excellent/very good.’ Women also reported on generalized anxiety and depressive symptoms, ranging from ‘more than minimal levels’ to ‘none/minimal.’

Almost 40% of women reported a history of physical abuse, which then correlated to worse menopausal, psychological wellbeing, general health, and depressive symptoms. Nearly 8% of women reported a history of physical abuse, which correlated with worse menopausal symptoms and general overall health. Research showed no impact on depressive symptoms in women who reported physical abuse. More than 10% of women reported a history of financial instability, which was associated with worse menopausal symptoms and general health, along with greater depressive symptoms.

Psychosocial stressors and generalized anxiety symptoms at midlife were not correlated, according to the study’s conclusions.

Unlike previous studies that focused more on current abuse, this research uncovered the potential long-term effects of psychosocial stressors on women throughout their lives, 15 to 20 years later.

“This study provides additional evidence to support the link between adversity earlier in life with worse menopause symptoms and poorer well-being in midlife women,” said Stephanie Faubion, NAMS medical director. Additional research, she said, should focus on understanding the effect of cumulative exposure to chronic and repeated stress on the health of women in midlife and beyond.