Being in the Script of Menopause: Mapping the Complexities of Coping Strategies

Abstract

In this article we explore the discourses of menopause, aging, and the complexities of coping with both menopause and aging among 30 women between the ages of 43 and 61 years living in Melbourne, Australia. Employing a qualitative design with thematic analysis, we uncover the complexity and heterogeneity of coping styles. Three major coping strategies are identified: inventive, troubled, and reactive. Recognition of the variety of coping strategies creatively negotiated within the dynamic, complex processes of aging and menopause might assist women in developing effective responses to these sometimes challenging life experiences.