Self Compassion: A Resilience Factor during the Menopause Transition

Lydia Brown, psychologist PhD/MA (Clinical Psychology) PhD submitted July 2015 University of Melbourne, Australia

(Freeman et. al., 2011; Sarrell et. al., 2015)

The Burden of Hot Flushes

Sarah Sheila

(Brown et al., 2014; Carpenter & Rand, 2008; Rand et. al., 2011)

15%

85%

Percent of variance in hot flush interference ratings not explained by flush frequency

Self-Compassion •  Healthy way of relating towards the self when facing

difficulties (Neff, 2002)

Self-Kindness Common Humanity Mindfulness

Methods •  Community sample of 517 women

aged 40-60 who had participated in an earlier longitudinal study of health and well-being ▫  206 women reported current hot

flushes ▫  10 year longitudinal data for 490

participants •  Structural equation modelling

using Mplus statistical software

Results

Menopausal Predictors or Well-being

Self-compassion, Menopause and Well-being

∆ R2 = .02 - .10

It Isn’t All in Your Head Self-compassion Take control

•  Dialogue •  Workplace issues •  Health care •  Personal cooling •  Education

•  Self-kindness •  Common

humanity •  Mindfulness

Self-Compassion

Take Control

Menopause occurs in a cultural context. A context that often glorifies youth.

Positive Attitude to Ageing Negative attitude to Ageing

• Brown, L., Bryant, C., Brown, V. M., Bei, B., & Judd, F. K. Self-compassion attitudes to ageing and well-being among midlife women. Ageing and Mental Health, In press.

• Brown, L., Bowden, S., Bryant, C., Brown, V. M., Bei, B., Glison, K. & Judd, F. K. The Validity and Utility of the Attitudes to Ageing Questionnaire in Predicting Menopausal Factors and Well-being Trajectories. Maturitas, in press.

Two Tiers of Intervention

Prime, Plan, Peer-pressure

NUDGES (PPP)

Talk, Touch, Take-control

EXERCISES(TTT)

Research Team

Assoc. Prof. Christina Bryant Prof. Fiona Judd

Committee members Prof. Stephen Bowden, Assoc. Prof. Jennifer Boldero and Prof. Henry Jackson

Dr. Bei Bei and Ms. Valerie Brown

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