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Women found relief for menopause transition through cognitive-behavioral therapy
Data from a recent study demonstrate that women experiencing hot flashes and night sweats found relief when they participated in a group therapy setting.
Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is used for various medical and psychological illnesses and disorders. “It has also been used to help people recover from cardiovascular disease, sleep disorders, diabetes, cancer, and orthopedic injuries,” according to the CDC website.
CBT makes patients aware of the stressors that tend to make their symptoms worse. It is often coupled with physical activity and is tailored to an individual’s needs. However, the CDC website reports that for the treatment to be successful, patients must take responsibility for necessary change.
In a randomized control trial conducted by Beverley Ayers, DHealthPsych, of King’s College London, and colleagues, 140 women (average age, 53 years) who had 10 or more problematic hot flush/night sweats (HF/NS) per week for at least 1 month were studied.
Of the 140 patients, 28% reported using hormone therapy in the past, and 3% were currently using HT but continued to have symptoms. The women reported more than 60 HF/NS per week and had HF/NS for an average of 3.94 years, researchers wrote. The HF/NS lasted for approximately 7.82 minutes.
Patients were randomly assigned to CBT, self-help CBT or no treatment control (NTC).
Two-hour CBT sessions took place once per week for 4 weeks with a focus on psychoeducation, stress management, paced breathing and CBT (including homework and goal setting). Session 1 included an introduction to CBT, whereas Session 2 introduced cognitive and behavioral strategies. Sessions 3 and 4 focused on managing NS and sleep, with an emphasis on goal setting.
Patients randomly assigned to group CBT (n=48) and self-help CBT (n=47) had reduced NS frequency at weeks 6 and 26. Additionally, there was a marked improvement in emotional and physical function for the CBT group at week 26.
“We did not expect guided self-help CBT to be as effective as group CBT, but the nature of the effects on problem ratings and NS frequency, being very similar in response to both interventions, suggest that the CBT may be having a specific impact,” the researchers wrote.
There were significantly different outcomes for HF/NS problem ratings at 6 weeks: CBT vs. NTC, the adjusted mean difference was 2.12 (95% CI, 1.36-2.88); self-help CBT vs. NTC, the adjusted mean difference was 2.08 (95% CI, 1.29-2.86).
Additionally, at 6 weeks, CBT patients experienced less depressed moods (adjusted mean difference, 0.13; 95% CI, 0.06-0.20) and a decrease in anxiety or fears (adjusted mean difference, 0.17; 95% CI, 0.07-0.28) compared with NTC.
By week 26, HF/NS was significantly improved: CBT vs. NTC, the adjusted mean difference was 1.33 (95% CI, 0.54-2.13); and self-help CBT vs. NTC, the adjusted mean difference was 1.19 (95% CI, 0.36-2.02). The self-help CBT patients reported improved general health, less depressed mood, memory or concentration problems at week 26 compared with the NTC group.
Additional analyses are under way to determine which part of the intervention process is most beneficial.
Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.