Mindfulness-Based Interventions May Improve Menopause Symptoms

Mindfulness-based interventions may help improve symptoms of menopause and quality of life, according to new data published in the Journal of Affective Disorders.¹ The authors said that more rigorous randomized trials are needed because the exact mechanisms of how the interventions work remain unclear.

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By 2025, over 1 billion women worldwide will be postmenopausal. Menopause is linked to significantly lower health-related quality of life and increased work impairment. Vasomotor symptoms, such as hot flashes, are among the most common and disruptive. More than 75% of women report moderate to severe symptom-related challenges at work, and 44% have taken undisclosed sick leave due to menopause-related issues, highlighting its widespread impact on well-being and productivity.²

“Mindfulness-based interventions are easily accessible and require minimal qualifications for intervention providers, making them conducive to widespread implementation in real-world settings,” the authors wrote. “Mindfulness practices enable menopausal women to develop a clear, undistorted awareness of their internal and external experiences. This enhanced awareness helps them better manage the physical and emotional fluctuations associated with menopause, fostering a more balanced response to both pleasant and unpleasant symptoms.”

A team of investigators conducted a study to examine the effectiveness of mindfulness-based interventions on health outcomes in menopausal women, including menopausal symptoms, quality of life, sleep quality, anxiety, stress and depressive symptoms. The systematic review included a search of 8 databases for randomized controlled trials published until November 2024.

The study included a total of 19 randomized controlled trials published between 2011 and 2024 that included 1670 patients across 7 countries. The study found that mindfulness-based interventions had statistically significant effects on menopausal symptoms, sleep quality, anxiety, depressive symptoms, and stress. The study also found that mindfulness-based interventions had an adherence rate of 79%, demonstrating that they are highly accepted by patients.

“This systematic review and meta-analysis support using of mindfulness-based interventions to improve health outcomes in menopausal women,” the authors concluded. “Rigorous randomized controlled trials with extended follow-up are needed to elucidate the mechanisms linking mindfulness-based interventions to menopausal health and strengthen evidence for clinical application.”

According to a study published in the journal Pharmacy, community pharmacists are well-positioned to increase the availability of mindfulness-based interventions because of their higher accessibility compared to primary care providers, particularly in rural areas.³ While there is currently a lack of data on the implementation of mindfulness-based interventions in community pharmacies, some research has shown that a mindfulness meditation program provided by a pharmacist in the community setting can help reduce the severity of depression and anxiety.⁴

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References

1. Wang H, Wang H, Kwok JYY, et al. The effectiveness of mindfulness-based interventions on menopausal symptoms: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Journal of Affective Disorders, 381, 337–349. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2025.04.029

2. Huang DR, Goodship A, Webber I, et al. Experience and severity of menopause symptoms and effects on health-seeking behaviours: a cross-sectional online survey of community dwelling adults in the United Kingdom. BMC Womens Health. 2023 Jul 14;23(1):373. doi: 10.1186/s12905-023-02506-w. PMID: 37452317; PMCID: PMC10347781.

3. Harris K, Jackson J, Webster H, et al. Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) for Chronic Pain Management in the Community Pharmacy Setting: A Cross-Sectional Survey of the General Public's Knowledge and Perceptions. Pharmacy (Basel). 2023 Sep 21;11(5):150. doi: 10.3390/pharmacy11050150. PMID: 37736922; PMCID: PMC10514835.

4. Perepelkin J, Antunes K, Boechler L, et al. Providing mindfulness meditation for patients with depression and anxiety in a community pharmacy: A pilot study. J Am Pharm Assoc (2003). 2019 Mar-Apr;59(2):258-264. doi: 10.1016/j.japh.2018.10.017. Epub 2018 Dec 11. PMID: 30552050.