Risk of Depression during Menopause in Women from Poland, Belarus, Belgium, and Greece.

INTRODUCTION: Menopause is a physiological period in a woman's life, but it is often accompanied by symptoms that affect mental well-being and general health, including a tendency for depression. AIM OF THE STUDY: To evaluate the predisposition to the symptoms of depression in women from Poland, Belarus, Belgium, and Greece. MATERIAL AND METHODS: the method of diagnostic survey was used, and the research tools were: The Menopause Rating Scale, the Kupperman Index, Beck Depression Inventory, and a self-made survey questionnaire. RESULTS: Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) was used by 15.8% of Polish, 19% of Belgian, 14.3% of Belarusian, and 15.2% of Greek women patients. The mean value of the Kupperman Index (range 0-63) in Poland was 14.8 ± 8.6, in Belgium-15.5 ± 6.6, Belarus-14.0 ± 9.4, and Greece-10.8 ± 6.5, while the total measure of Menopause Rating Scale (MRS) (range 0-44) was 12.2 ± 7.6 in Poland, 13.8 ± 6.5 in Belgium, 10.8 ± 8.0 in Belarus and 12.9 ± 7.4 in Greece. The severity of mental distress followed a similar pattern across all countries (slightly stronger than mild). The results for somatic complaints were similar, whereas the level of sexual issues varied, with the highest in Belgium and the lowest in Belarus. The mildest symptoms of menopause were experienced by Belarusian women and the most severe by Belgian women. The severity of depression, according to the Beck Depression Inventory (range 0-63), was as follows: Poland 10.5 ± 7.9; Belgium-11.1 ± 5.7; Belarus-13.7 ± 5.7; Greece-11.8 ± 6.6. CONCLUSIONS: The differences between the development of perimenopausal-related symptoms across countries were statistically significant. The incidence and severity of depression showed statistically significant differences between the countries studied-the highest was in Belarus and the lowest in Poland. Depression levels were not differentiated by subjects' age or the use of hormone therapy but by subjects' education. In Poland and Belarus, increased menopausal pain measured by the Kupperman Index altered levels of depression; in Belgium, there were no such correlations, and in Greece, the correlation was statistically significant, but its strength was negligible. A clearer correlation of the effects of development in menopausal symptoms on the level of depression was shown when measured with the MRS scale-in Greece and Belgium, the correlation was relatively weak, but in Poland and Belarus, it was relatively high.

Risk Assessment of Depression amongst Women during Menopause before and during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

During menopause, the risk of depression is 2-5 times greater than pre- or post-menopause. To assess the risk of depression amongst menopausal women in 2006, compared with 2021 (i.e., during the COVID-19 pandemic), we recruited female volunteers at least 40 years old to complete the menopause rating scale (MRS), the Blatt-Kupperman menopausal index (BKMI), and the Beck depression inventory. Compared with 2006, in 2021, the number of participants who experienced mild, moderate, and severe menopausal symptoms rose by 8%, 1.9%, and 3.2%, respectively. Moreover, the frequency of using hormone replacement therapy rose by 5.1%, feelings of mistrust by 16%, feelings of guilt by 11%, disposition to cry by 25%, mood swings by 12%, and suicidal ideation by 9%, whilst the average body weight and body mass index fell by 5.1 kg and 2.3%, respectively. In 2006 and 2021, 46.3% and 59.3% of participants experienced moderate depression, whereas 3.0% and 5.2% experienced severe depression. The number of participants who denied needing support during menopause decreased by 14.6%, whereas the demand for support from husbands and friends increased by 18.3% and 9.8%, respectively. In 2021, the number of participants who experienced menopausal symptoms, a loss of trust, self-blame, a tendency to cry, mood swings, suicidal ideation, and anxiety also increased compared with 2006, whilst the number of participants without depressive symptoms decreased, but with suspected mild or severe depression increased. Last, menopausal complaints caused an increase in depressive mood in 2021, as evaluated using the BKMI and MRS.

[Nurses opinion on the necessity of educating psychiatric patients and their families]. / Potrzeba edukacji chorego psychicznie i jego rodziny w opinii pielegniarek.

AIM: To gather information on the need for educating psychiatric patients and their families by the nursing staff. METHOD: An anonymous questionnaire was especially constructed for this study. 628 nurses who worked in different health institutions (except for psychiatric departments) were asked to answer the questionnaire. RESULTS: Getting the patient ready for functioning in the normal world and showing him ways to cope with the illness were considered as the most important educational themes. It is disturbing to note that 14.01% of the responders did not answer this question at all. According to the nurses, the families should be educated well on how they should deal with their ill member. Most of those questioned declared a readiness to educate the ill, but only 31.8% of them felt only minimally prepared for the task. The best form of learning to be an educator were (according to 79.7% responders) training seminars in the preferable form of talks, lectures or lessons. The medical doctor should be the one who would help in the educational role. CONCLUSIONS: The majority of the nurses believe that they are not prepared well enough for this educational function. Only 4.5% of those studied did not show any need for educating patients and their families. Training seminars for nurses should be organized, so that the nurses feel competent to educate patients and their families. Interdisciplinary teams dealing with the issue of educating patients and their families should be formed.

[Women's knowledge of health behaviors in the puerperium]. / Wiedza kobiet na temat zachowan prozdrowotnych w pologu.

UNLABELLED: The study was conducted on one hundred women hospitalized in obstetrical departments of hospitals in Bialystok. Material was collected using anonymous inquiry in the accordance with methodology of questionnaire creation. Over half responders (55%) correctly defined puerperium, however 19% of them couldn't explain what it means. Near 1/3 women answered that bloody puerperal excrements may be present to the end of puerperal period, 41% of women answered that during puerperium they are allowed to bath and only 22% of them considered physical exercises to be profitable. 52% of responders knew that newborn child should be breastfed for six months and that breastfeeding prevents breast from incidents of occlusion. 20% of mothers considered breastfeeding to be preventive from defects of bite and dental caries. CONCLUSIONS: 1. Definition of puerperium caused problems for most of women. 2. The period of puerperium affected the mode of lifestyle and hygiene of women but most of them did not consider physical exercises to be profitable. 4. The most of women knew that breastfeeding is necessary for appropriate growth of their children.