Psychosocial challenges of menopause: The connections between generativity, identity development and gender role orientation
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17627/ALKPSZICH.2025.4.143Keywords:
menopause symptoms, gender roles, identity crisis, generativity, identity developmentAbstract
Background and Aims: Female gender roles traditionally include caregiving and responsibility for others. Menopause, as a normative crisis, is a particularly sensitive period for identity reorganization, as in addition to physical changes, social expectations and stereotypes related to femininity are also transformed. The aim of the study was to explore how different gender role orientations influence the experience of generativity, identity development and attitudes toward menopausal symptoms.
Methods: Hungarian women between the ages of 45 and 55 participated in the study. An online questionnaire was distributed in thematic menopause groups, which included the following parts: Demographic Questionnaire, Gender Role Preference Questionnaire, Menopause Rating Scale (MRS), Developmental Crisis Questionnaire (DCQ), Identity Development Dimensions Scale (DIDS), Loyola Generativity Scale (LGS). We used t-tests, correlation tests, and mediation analysis to test the hypotheses.
Results: Generativity and traditional gender role orientation show a negative correlation, which may indicate that the excessive presence of caregiving roles may limit the experience of personal development and social usefulness. Identity crisis and stronger experience of menopausal symptoms were more common among women with traditional gender role orientation, while modern gender role orientation appeared as a protective factor for commitment and flexible role interpretation. Based on the mediation analysis, gender role orientation contributes to the development of identity crisis both directly and through menopausal symptoms.
Discussion: Overall, progressive gender role orientation can be a supportive factor in identity integration and a more positive experience of menopause. The desire to conform to social expectations of women and negative stereotypes surrounding changing age increase the likelihood of an identity crisis: the effects of the disadvantages of being a woman and aging are compounded.
