Exploring women's experiences and needs during the climacteric to enhance positive mental health and self-care

Abstract

Background: The climacteric is a stage in women's lives that, even today, remains taboo in many regions of the world where social contexts are otherwise highly advanced. Although women's experiences have generated growing interest there is still a need for greater understanding. Learning about and studying the experiences and needs that determine women's emotional well-being during the various stages of the climacteric provides a knowledge base that allows future research to design evidence-based, high-quality health promotion and intervention programs aimed, from a holistic perspective, at fostering well-being during this stage of life. In this sense, a project was proposed to explore these experiences and needs and to co-create a Decalogue for Positive Mental Health during the climacteric.

Methods: A qualitative, interpretive phenomenological study was conducted. Data were collected through an online questionnaire and two focus groups (n = 12) between February and April 2025. The sample was recruited by convenience. Inclusion criteria were women currently experiencing the climacteric who were available to participate in the focus groups. All discussions were recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using ATLAS.ti version 25 through content analysis.

Results: Three main categories emerged: symptoms, self-care, and aesthetic pressure. A total of 59 codes were identified, and sentiment analysis was conducted, showing predominantly neutral and negative results across the three categories.

Conclusions: The modern lifestyle has transformed the profile of women experiencing the climacteric. Today, they are more aware of this stage and demand clear information and standardized protocols to better understand it. Furthermore, self-care and positive mental health have consolidated as key elements to navigate this transition period with well-being.