A DESCRIPTIVE STUDY TO ASSESS THE KNOWLEDGE ON MIDLIFE CRISIS AMONG WOMEN WITH MIDLIFE CRISIS

ABSTRACT

Background: In the transition to old age, midlife plays a signi?cant preparatory role. During this period, a person may go through a stage called the stage of Midlife crisis. In a life review process, a woman with midlife crisis may search for her identity. Some women may be disturbed due to the missed educational or occupational opportunities and, some may have regrets about the decisions made in the past. Poor knowledge and understanding regarding midlife crisis may lower the psychological resilience of women. Knowledge regarding the midlife crisis will help a woman to take measures to be more resilient, and this understanding is essential for the proper management of the midlife crisis. Objectives: 1) To assess the knowledge on midlife crisis among women with midlife crisis in selected community areas in Malappuram district, Kerala.2) To ?nd the association between the knowledge score on midlife crisis with selected socio demographic variables among women with midlife crisis in selected community areas in Malappuram district, Kerala. Methods: A descriptive study was conducted among 60 female middle-aged women with midlife crisis to assess their knowledge on midlife crisis in different community areas in Malappuram district, Kerala. The data was collected during the month of January 2022. A structured knowledge questionnaire was developed to assess the knowledge on Midlife crisis. The data analysis was done using descriptive and inferential statistics. The results of the study showed that 13.33% of the Results: sample had low knowledge on midlife crisis and only 1.67% were having adequate knowledge on midlife crisis. The results also showed that 85% of the sample had moderate knowledge on midlife crisis. There was no signi?cant association between the knowledge score on midlife crisis with the selected socio demographic variables among the sample. The Conclusions: knowledge regarding midlife crisis is essential for the early identi?cation and management of the crisis. Women's understanding of the crisis they are experiencing in middle age is critical in the management of midlife crisis-related physical and mental health issues. This will help a woman to prevent mental health- related issues in the future and is an essential component in the promotion of mental health. Overall, good mental health will positively in?uence the quality of life of women.