Perceived control over menopausal hot flushes: Exploring the correlates of a standardised measure

Abstract

Objectives: A substantial minority of women report considerable distress during hot flushes. Coping with various chronic health problems has been related to perceived control in previous studies. Hence this study developed a standardised measure to investigate whether perceived control is associated with less distress during menopausal hot flushes. Method: The study presented a suitably re-worded 15-item scale (the Arthritis Helplessness Index, originally developed by Nicassio et al (1985). Scoring was reversed so that high scores signified greater perceived control. A volunteer sample of 43 women (mean age 51 years) completed the scale together with several further measures. Thirty five women returned 12 month follow-up questionnaires. Results: the Perceived Control Index (PCI) scores correlated with standardised measures of self-esteem and simple self-ratings (0-100) of perceived control, and remained very stable over 12 months. Self-rated distress during flush episodes was more closely related to perceived control than to more objective factors such as flush frequency and chronicity. Conclusion: These findings support further investigation into whether subjective coping with flushes may be improved by psychological interventions that enhance perceived control and self-esteem.