Psychosocial Effects of Mindfulness-Based Exercise in Postmenopausal Women

Plain-language summary

Menopause is a natural biological process characterized by the permanent cessation of the menstrual cycle in women. Hormonal changes associated with menopause commonly lead to mood swings, anxiety, depression, stress, and decreased sleep quality in women. While the current literature indicates that mindfulness-based interventions offer potential benefits in alleviating psychological and physical symptoms in postmenopausal women, the limited number of studies in the literature and methodological differences suggest a need for more randomized controlled trials in this area. The aim of this study is to examine the effect of mindfulness-based exercises on psychosomatic complaints such as anxiety, depression, and sleep quality in postmenopausal women. Designed as a randomized controlled experimental study, it was planned to include at least 20 women in the early postmenopausal period residing in Istanbul and Izmir between March and June 2026. The women included in the study will be randomized into Group 1 (n=10), which will perform mindfulness-based exercises, and Group 2 (n=10), which will receive no intervention as usual. The STAI I-II Form State and Trait Anxiety Scale and Beck Anxiety Inventory will be used to assess state and anxiety level, the Beck Depression Scale for depression level, and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Scale for sleep quality. Continuous variables will be presented as mean ± standard deviation, and qualitative variables as number and percentage (%). If parametric test assumptions are met, the Independent Samples t-test will be used to compare independent groups, and the Paired Samples t-test will be used to compare dependent groups. If parametric test assumptions are not met, the Mann-Whitney U test will be used to compare independent groups, and the Wilcoxon test will be used to compare dependent groups. Statistical significance will be set at p≤0.05. This study is expected to contribute to the literature by providing evidence-based data on the effectiveness of mindfulness-based exercises on common psychological symptoms in the postmenopausal period.

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