Study Links PTSD Dimensions to Menopause-Related Health Issues in Midlife Women Veterans

The researchers unveiled that both categorical and dimensional aspects of PTSD have been shown to impact menopause-related health in midlife women veterans. Notably, symptoms such as negative affect and dysphoric arousal are strongly associated with urinary and vasomotor issues.

"These specific PTSD symptoms may contribute to the links between PTSD and these menopause-related health challenges. Targeted clinical interventions addressing these symptoms could potentially enhance health outcomes for midlife women veterans," the researchers wrote in Menopause Journal.

Posttraumatic stress disorder has been connected to various menopause symptoms, such as vasomotor and urinary issues, as well as their related consequences, including sexual difficulties. However, given the heterogeneous nature of PTSD, there is limited understanding of which specific aspects of the disorder are most strongly associated with menopause-related health. To address this knowledge gap, Jordan L. Thomas, Department of Psychology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, and colleagues aimed to evaluate five structural models of PTSD symptoms in 208 predominately postmenopausal women veterans (aged 45-64 years) using confirmatory factor analyses.

The researchers explored the relationships between PTSD—defined both as a probable diagnosis and through symptom dimensions identified in the most accurate model—and common menopause-related health issues. These issues include vasomotor, urinary, and vaginal symptoms; the impact of vasomotor symptoms on daily life; and sexual functioning.

The study revealed the following findings:

• A six-factor anhedonia model—comprising re-experiencing, avoidance, negative affect, anhedonia, anxious arousal, and dysphoric arousal—provided optimal fit. Both probable PTSD and greater symptoms across all dimensions were linked with the presence of urinary and vasomotor, but not vaginal, symptoms.
• Comparing dimensions revealed that negative affect and dysphoric arousal were particularly associated with urinary symptoms, whereas dysphoric arousal was the factor most strongly related to vasomotor symptom interference.
• Associations between PTSD and sexual dysfunction were mixed; whereas there was no relation with probable diagnosis, all dimensions were linked with adverse sexual sequelae.

"Various dimensions of PTSD were linked to menopause-related health issues in midlife women veterans, including urinary and vasomotor symptoms, the impact of vasomotor symptoms on daily activities, and sexual dysfunction," the researchers reported.

Reference:

Thomas, Jordan L. MA1; Blanken, Anna E. PhD2,3; Huang, Alison J. MD4; Maguen, Shira PhD2,5; Gibson, Carolyn J. PhD, MPH2,5; Sumner, Jennifer A. PhD1. Dimensions of posttraumatic stress disorder and menopause-related health in midlife women veterans. Menopause ():10.1097/GME.0000000000002410, August 13, 2024. | DOI: 10.1097/GME.0000000000002410