Effects of Mindfulness-Based Self-Efficacy Development Program on Postmenopausal Women

Effects of Mindfulness-Based Self-Efficacy Development Program on Menopausal Symptoms and Quality of Life in Postmenopausal Women: A Randomized Controlled Trial

The aim of this randomized controlled clinical trial is to evaluate the effects of a mindfulness-based self-efficacy development program on menopausal symptoms and quality of life in postmenopausal women. The main questions it aims to answer are:

Does the mindfulness-based program reduce the severity of menopausal symptoms?

Does the mindfulness-based program improve the quality of life of postmenopausal women?

Does the mindfulness-based program significantly increase participants' overall self-efficacy?

The researchers will compare whether there are differences between the mindfulness-based training program applied to the intervention group and the control group in terms of menopausal symptoms, quality of life, and self-efficacy scores.

The main tasks that will be asked of the participants are as follows:

Those in the intervention group will participate in a face-to-face mindfulness-based self-efficacy development program, each session lasting at least 120 minutes, once a week for 8 weeks, with a maximum of 10 people per group.

The control group will not receive any intervention.

Participants in both groups will be evaluated with a personal information form and measurement tools such as the Menopause Symptoms Assessment Scale, the Menopause Specific Quality of Life Scale, and the General Self-efficacy Scale.

This research is a randomized controlled experimental study aiming to evaluate the effects of a mindfulness-based self-efficacy development program on menopausal symptoms and quality of life in women during menopause. The research will be conducted at Lokman Hekim University Etlik Hospital between September 2025 and March 2026.

Postmenopausal women who have entered menopause naturally, who do not have a physical disability that prevents them from participating in mindfulness practices, who are literate and literate in Turkish, and who have access to technology will be included in the study. Participants will be assigned to the intervention and control groups by simple randomization.

Participants in the intervention group will receive an eight-week mindfulness-based self-efficacy development training based on Kabat-Zinn's Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program. Sessions will be held face-to-face once a week for 90-120 minutes. The program consists of components such as breath awareness, focusing on bodily sensations, mindful movement, working with emotions, and present-moment awareness.

Standard scales will be applied to all participants before and after the study to assess menopausal symptoms, quality of life and general self-efficacy levels. The collected data will be compared statistically.

This study aims to be an original study to evaluate whether a mindfulness-based self-efficacy development program has the potential to help control menopausal symptoms and improve quality of life in postmenopausal women.

Inclusion Criteria:

Inclusion criteria:

• Individuals who are in the +1a or +1b substage of early postmenopause according to the STRAW+10 system (at least 12 months and at most 24 months have passed since their last menstrual period)
• Are proficient in reading and writing Turkish
• Are in a spouse or partner
• Have entered menopause naturally
• Do not have a physical disability such as a severe musculoskeletal disorder, neurological disease, or mobility limitation that would prevent the use of mindfulness techniques (e.g., seated meditation, breathing exercises, gentle body awareness exercises)
• Have not used MBSR techniques in the last six months
• Own a smartphone or internet-enabled device.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Those who completed the pretest data collection forms incompletely,
• Those who had any psychological disorder or experienced a traumatic event in the last two to one years,
• Those who received hormone replacement therapy during menopause,
• Those who had any gynecological cancer