In the MassachusettsWomen’s Health Study (Avis &McKinlay, 1995), women were
asked to describe their feelings about the cessation of menstruation. More than 70% of
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the women chose either “neutral” or “relief” whereas only 3% chose “regret.” When the
group members were asked to do the same, all three women described a state of “freedom.”
Guided by the questions and results in the MassachusettsWomen’s Health Study,
the members expressed their concerns about menopause and observed that they shared
symptoms and experiences similar to other women. The group members were encouraged
to call each other outside of group time, to be a source of support to each other, and
to pass on the information they learned about menopause to other women.