Experience of Menopause in Woman: a Phenomenological Psychology Study

• Main Authors: Pei-Ting Kao, 高珮婷
• Other Authors: Wei-Lun Lee
• Format: Others
• Published: 2016
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/6t84r2

碩士 === 國立東華大學 === 諮商與臨床心理學系 === 104 === Objectives: This study is aimed at exploring the experiential process in menopausal woman, and disclosing the “experiental body” where body experience, attitudes towards the menopause, medical discourse, social discourse, implication of aging and Interpersonal relationships converge. Methods: The phenomenological research method used in this study is the hermeneutical phenomenology analysis developed by Wei-Lun Lee (2004a) on the situatedness of a person. Three menopausal/postmenopausal women were interviewed for this study. Results: The situatedness of menopausal women presents that “menopausal is one of natural life stages” and “bio-medicalization with mechanism of female hormone” are two main discourses about menopause. The latter dominates treatments for menopausal symptoms, and includes medical treatments, treatments in daily life, and risk of breast cancer associated with hormone therapy. Although the hormone discourse is originated from biomedical science, it also provides basis about treatments in daily life and risk of hormone therapy for menopausal women to depart from medical treatments. The discourse about “menopausal is one of natural life stages” also let women free from medicalization. Besides, the discourse is related with aging and adjustment about aging. Stepping into menopause which is a stage full of body experience that most women will go through makes each female body a junction, which integrates personal body history, and also connects to female peers.