Impact of menopausal symptoms on work and careers: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Women over 50 years are one of the fastest-growing employment groups. Menopausal symptoms can adversely impact quality of life, work performance and attendance; however, few studies look at the impact of individual menopausal symptoms on work and career development. AIMS: To measure the prevalence of menopausal symptoms in employees in a healthcare setting, to assess the impact of individual symptoms on work, attendance and career development and to explore perceptions about workplace supports. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study of Irish hospital workers, menopausal employees were asked about the frequency of 10 menopausal symptoms and the extent to which each symptom impacted them at work. Impacts on performance, attendance and career development were assessed, along with the benefits of workplace support. RESULTS: Responses from 407 women showed that the most common menopausal symptoms affecting employees greater than 50% of the time while at work were fatigue (54%), difficulty sleeping (47%), poor concentration (44%) and poor memory (40%). Work performance was impacted for 65% of respondents and 18% had taken sick leave. There was a significant association between symptom severity at work and reduced work performance, career development decisions and attendance. Manager awareness about menopause (29%) and flexible working times (29%) were selected as the most important workplace supports. CONCLUSIONS: Female employees are negatively impacted by menopausal symptoms while at work, particularly by psychological and neurocognitive symptoms which were associated with reduced work performance, attendance and career decisions. Manager awareness and flexible schedules were considered the most beneficial workplace supports.

Psychophysiological assessment of sex offenders in a security hospital.

A study on the sexual orientation and responsiveness of sexual offenders in a maximum security hospital who had been referred to the Psychology Department for sexual assessment is described. Correlations between "felt sexual arousal" ratings and penis diameter increase were calculated to assess validity, but a high proportion of detained patients gave results which could be interpreted as indicating defensiveness or faking. Groups of sexual offenders (against women, girls, boys, and men), nonsexual attackers of women, and typical heterosexuals were compared on their profiles of response to films showing consenting adult heterosexual, adult homosexual, and boy homosexual activity, girl abduction, and girl rape. Groups did not differ on the consenting heterosexual activity film, but typical heterosexuals and nonsexual attackers of women showed significantly less response to the film of girl abduction (p less than 0.001) and rape (p less than 0.001) than did groups of sex offenders generally.

Plasma catecholamines, stress and aggression in maximum security patients.

Investigations into the stress response of patients committed to a special hospital for criminally deviant offences have identified a group of sympathetically hypoactive patients who excrete more noradrenaline and less adrenaline in the urine than either the remaining hospital population or control subjects, during conditions of stresser anticipation. Further investigation of these patients has shown that similar differences in plasma catecholamines exist, and that the group of patients characterised by this imbalance tend to have been committed for the most physically violent crimes.

Abnormality of catecholamines balance relating to social deviance.

Approximately a quarter of maximum security hospital patients convicted of highly deviant crimes exhibited low 'anxiety-type' psychophysiological responsivity to stressors together with an abnormal catecholamine balance during stressor anticipation which resulted in noradrenalin to adrenalin ratios in excess of 5.5, an abnormally high value not exceeded by any control subjects and a result which is significant (p less than 0.005).