A comparison of three outcome measures of the impact of vasomotor symptoms on women’s lives

Abstract

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Is cognitive behaviour therapy an effective option for women who have troublesome menopausal symptoms?

“…An estimated 25–30% of women report problematic VMS (i.e., flushes that impact on daily life). Interestingly, it is the extent to which the VMS are perceived as problematic, rather than their frequency, that is associated with quality of life (QOL) and help‐seeking behaviours (Ayers & Hunter, 2013 ; Hunter, Nuttall, & Fenlon, 2019 ), which consequently is the main outcome that we seek to change.…”

“…An estimated 25-30% of women report problematic VMS (i.e., flushes that impact on daily life). Interestingly, it is the extent to which the VMS are perceived as problematic, rather than their frequency, that is associated with quality of life (QOL) and help-seeking behaviours Hunter, Nuttall, & Fenlon, 2019), which consequently is the main outcome that we seek to change.There are bi-directional relationships between VMS and mood, and both can lead to sleep problems and reduced QOL (Maki et al, 2019). Having persistent and/or troublesome VMS and sleep problems can make women feel stressed and irritable, which in turn can exacerbate menopausal symptoms.…”

Effectiveness of nurse‐led group CBT for hot flushes and night sweats in women with breast cancer: Results of the MENOS4 randomised controlled trial

“…Recruitment took place in hospitals throughout England and Wales. We included females 16 years and older, with primary breast cancer or DCIS, who had completed primary treatment, experiencing seven or more HFNS/week, with an overall rating of 4/10 or above on the Hot Flush Problem Rating scale 21 and the desire and ability to attend group sessions. Exclusion criteria were metastatic disease and male.…”

“…This measure has been used in clinical trials and predicts QoL and help‐seeking to a greater extent than HFNS frequency and is recommended as an appropriate outcome measure in trials of HFNS treatments 24,25 . Problem rating and severity tend to be associated with each other—neither are strongly associated with frequency of HFNS 21,24 . HFNS problem rating has good internal consistency (Cronbach α = 0·9) and test‐retest reliability (r = 0·8) 24 and has been used successfully in previous MENOS studies.…”

“…24,25 Problem rating and severity tend to be associated with each other-neither are strongly associated with frequency of HFNS. 21,24 HFNS problem rating has good internal consistency (Cronbach α = 0•9) and test-retest reliability (r = 0•8) 24 and has been used successfully in previous MENOS studies. and behaviours about hot flushes.…”