The Relationship Between Depression and Menopause Symptoms: The PATH Model

Background: To date, no study has been performed on the relationship between depression and perimenopausal symptoms using the Path model in Iran. Objective: This study aims to assess the relationship between depression and menopause symptoms using the PATH model. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted for 4 months, in 2019, and 332 menopausal women were enrolled in 14 public health centers. Data collection instruments included questionnaires of demographic characteristics, anxiety instrument, Menopause Rating Scale, and the Beck Depression short Inventory (BDI-S). The hypothesized mediators were assessed using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). The model included depression symptoms (dependent variable), anxiety (mediators), number of alive children (moderator), and menopausal symptoms (independent variable). Analyses were conducted by SPSS 16 and AMOS 20. Results: There was a significant positive correlation between menopause symptoms with total anxiety (Rs=0.52), state anxiety (Rs=0.47), trait anxiety (Rs=0.46), and depression (Rs=0.54). Depression had a significant positive correlation with total anxiety (Rs=0.64), trait anxiety (Rs=0.58), and state anxiety (Rs=0.59). Also, the total mediating effect of total anxiety and depression and the total moderating effect of the number of alive children were significant on menopause symptoms. Conclusion: According to the results of the present study, there is an association between depression and menopausal symptoms. Therefore, health providers should pay more attention to the psychological health of women during the perimenopausal period. The predictor factors should be considered in both intervention and clinical assessment of menopause women.