RESEARCH PAPERS

HOW PERIMENOPAUSE SHAPED PERSPECTIVES ON LIFE DURING

THE PANDEMIC: A STUDY ON INDIA'S WORKING AND
NON-WORKING WOMEN

By
ANURADHA SATHIYASEELAN * BISHAL PATANGIA **

SOUMONETRA CHAUDHURY *** ASHWINI M. ****

*-**** Department of Psychology, School of Social Science, CHRIST (Deemed to be University), Bangalore, Karnataka, India.

Date Received: 19/11/2022 Date Revised: 29/11/2022 Date Accepted: 12/12/2022

ABSTRACT
The menopausal transition is a challenging phase in a woman's life and has been compounded by the COVID-19
pandemic. This study aimed to examine the association between meaning in life, quality of life, and satisfaction with life
among perimenopausal women during the pandemic, as well as to determine if there was a difference in attitudes
towards life between working and non-working perimenopausal women. The study sample consisted of 114
perimenopausal women, with 64 being employed and 50 being non-employed. A quantitative cross-sectional design
was employed, and the results showed that satisfaction with life was positively correlated with both meaning in life and
quality of life. Working perimenopausal women had a higher level of satisfaction with life (mean score of 63.24) as
compared to non-working perimenopausal women (mean score of 50.14), but there was no significant difference in
quality of life or meaning in life between the two groups. The study highlights the impact of various social and personal
factors on how women perceive their lives during the pandemic and underscores the need for increased support and
resources for perimenopausal women in the workplace. Additionally, promoting menopause awareness in general and
in the workplace could help to reduce social barriers and improve women's perspectives on life, leading to an
improvement in their overall quality of life and satisfaction with life. This study insisted on the need for giving importance to
this stage in women's life-rather passing it just like that. Policy makers in the HR field should make a note to the finding and
incorporate necessary amendment in terms of the female workforce.
Keywords: Occupational Status, Perimenopause, State of Wellbeing, Pandemic.

INTRODUCTION
"Menopause is your return to where you were before when
your hormone levels are the same as a pre-adolescent
girl" - Sandra Tsing Loh.
The outbreak of the novel coronavirus as a pandemic has
drastically affected people's livelihoods within different
dimensions of life, social, personal, psychological, and
physical (Poudel & Subedi, 2020). With much focus on the
pandemic and emerging repository challenges within
the health sector during the pandemic, health
management had to keep aside the other health issues
(Nicola et al., 2020). Menopause, a crucial part of
women's sexual health, needs enough attention as it puts
women vulnerable to cardiovascular disease and cancer
(Rodrigues & Carneiro, 2020).
Moreover, the pandemic has put a significant demand
on women's daily livelihoods. Compared to pre-
pandemic, women are more involved in household
activities. Taking care of their children and family along

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with professional responsibilities increases the emotional
labour and physical strain (Thomas, 2022). Lack of social
support makes the entire experience more adverse (Lum
& Simpson, 2021). Such factors directly influence how
women view their lives as meaningful or satisfying.
In India, the population size becomes a significant
limitation in addressing every health issue at one time. The
need for medical support exceeds the supply of medical
support from the government (Tiwari et al., 2022), and the
outbreak of the pandemic triggered the need for several
other medical challenges across different age groups
and demography (Patangia et al., 2022). Women during
their menopausal transition need special attention
regarding physiological and psychological support.
However, limited research on menopausal management,
especially in psychological needs and the Indian
population, prevents them from receiving the necessary
medical support (Hajesmaeel-Gohari et al., 2021).
With limited research to address the psychological need,
it is difficult to establish the cause of the social and
psychological challenges faced by women during their
menopausal transition (Ali et al., 2020). The present study
explores peri-menopausal women's attitudes toward their
lives during the pandemic and how their occupational
status determines their attitude toward life. Peri-
menopausal is the initial stage of the onset of
menopause. With the sudden decline in estrogen levels,
women experience hot flushes, poor sleep patterns,
mood swings, and relationship conflicts. Such new
changes increase the vulnerability of depression and
anxiety among women who need research support from
various angles (Lawhorn, 2022). To give a different angle,
the study aims to identify how occupational status
influences the attitude of living women during their peri-
menopausal stage in an uncertain period like a
pandemic.
1. Theoretical Framework
1.1 The Social Cognitive Theory
Albert Bandura first proposed the Social Cognitive Theory
(SCT) in the 1960s as the Social Learning Theory. Later in
1986, it was converted into SCT. The theory states that
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individuals' experiences in a social context and other
environmental factors influence their learning and health
behaviours (Bandura, 2001). The present study explores
how working and non-working women in their peri-
menopausal stage perceive their lives. Moreover, it also
explores how the professional aspect allows their women
to see how meaningful and satisfying their life.
2. Review of Literature and Hypothesis Development
Previous studies were reviewed to identify the limitation to
identify the pattern of previous research and establish the
study's hypothesis. The literature review was done on
studies published in the timeline of 2010–2022, and
Journals such as Lancet and Menopause indexed in
platforms such as SCOPUS, Web of Sciences, Medline,
and PubMed were included.
2.1 Perimenopause and How Women Viewed Life
Individuals determine their meaning in life based on how
they interpret their livelihood. Someone could find
meaning through earning, working, or living a spiritual
lifestyle, whereas others could find purpose in their lives
through service to society, like running a charity or working
in development (Krok, 2015). The meaning of life can vary
from person to person. One explores in their life to develop
and identify a sense of purpose and significance to what
they have been doing and what one has done in their
early Life (Schippers & Ziegler, 2019). Menopause is a
difficult and confusing phase in most women's lives. This
phase begins with the onset of perimenopause, leading
to psychosocial and relationship problems that
demotivate them. This new phase in a woman's life leads
to various hormonal changes in their body. They must
adjust to deal with all the challenges (Hooper et al., 2022).
A study by Hajj et al. (2020) states that most women
perceive themselves as incapable of daily physical
activities that affect their social image and relationship
with their partner. Such factors determine their health and
social quality of life, which directly question whether they
have a meaningful life.
Similarly, a study conducted by Whiteley et al. (2013) on a
more significant population size state that women during
their menopausal transition face challenges in their daily
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functioning and health issues leading to low health-
related quality of life. A further study by Singh and Sivakami
(2020) on Indian women in their menopausal stage states
that women do not receive enough medical support
during the transition. They are not allowed to discuss
sexual health-related issues like menstruation and
menopause with their partners, which limits them from the
social support they expect during the menopausal
phase. Such instances significantly diminish their quality of
life and satisfaction with life, which ultimately leads to
questions about how meaningful their life is.
With limited studies conducted with regards to peri-
menopausal in the Indian context and based on the
previous, the first, second, and third hypotheses of the
study are stated below.
H1 Meaning in Life and Satisfaction with Life significantly
correlate among Peri-Menopausal women
H2 Meaning in Life and Quality of Life significantly
correlate among Peri-Menopausal women
H3 Satisfaction with Life and Quality of Life significantly
correlate among Peri-Menopausal women
2.2 Occupational Status and Perimenopause
Women's occupational status could significantly impact
how they perceive their lives (Zakrisson, 2022). Working
women tend to have a meaningful and satisfying life as
compared to non-working women, based on the
workplace environment and the support the working
women receive from their workplace (Chung & van der
Lippe, 2020; Sinha, 2017). However, other studies show
that due to overburdening and economic concerns,
working women tend to have less satisfaction with life and
poor quality of Life (Okulicz-Kozaryn & Valente, 2018).
Further, a study conducted on the Indian population to
identify the quality of life among working and non-working
women shows the difference in how they view their life and
quality of life (Vernekar & Shah, 2019). A study by Singh et
al. (2021) revealed that working women had a higher
quality of life-related physical and psychological than
women who are not working. Moreover, social and
environmental factors were also better for working
women. Another study by Gahtori & Rawat (2020) on
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middle-aged women in India states that working women
tend to show higher mental well-being and a positive
attitude toward their life.
Few studies describe the differences in how peri-
menopausal women view their lives regarding their
occupational status. The outbreak of the pandemic and
lockdown also influenced women's quality of life and
meaningfulness. Uncertainty and emotional burden on
women significantly impacted their mental health. In
India, social and personal factors significantly influenced
how women perceived their lives. Profession, however,
does influence how meaningful women feel in their life.
Regardless of whether working or not, during the
menopausal transition, women crave social and family
support, especially during the pandemic, when the
physical and emotional burden on them is at its peak.
Such factors greatly impacted women's views of their
lives. To verify this, the present study further aims to observe
if working and non-working peri-menopausal women
viewed life differently during the pandemic.
H4 Meaning in Life differs between Working and Non-
Working Peri-Menopausal Women
H5 Satisfaction with Life differs between Working and Non-
Working Peri-Menopausal Women
H6 Quality of Life differs between Working and Non-
Working Peri-Menopausal Women
3. Objective of the Study
Based on the above hypothesis and a review of previous
literature, the study's objective is to determine whether
meaning in life, satisfaction with life, and quality of life
have any relationship among peri-menopausal women
and differ between working and non-working women
during the pandemic.
4. Method and Materials
4.1 Research Design
The study incorporated a cross-sectional quantitative
research design. The study variables are meaning in life
(the current level of meaning in life and the degree to
which an individual is searching for meaning), satisfaction
with life, and quality of life. The study used purposive and
snowball sampling techniques. This sampling technique
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was chosen because it allowed the researchers to select
a population possessing specific traits through a non-
random technique. The nature of the target-population
was peri-menopausal women whose ages ranged from
40-44 years. Other demographic factors collected were
occupational Status: working and non-working and
socioeconomic status. The timeline of the data collection
was during the period of the pandemic, December
2019–March 2021.
4.2 Tools and Process of Data Collection
The Meaning in Life Questionnaire, developed by Steger
et al. (2006), was used to assess the level of meaning in life
among women in their menopausal transition. The scale
measures how an individual develops a sense of
meaning in their life and is motivated to continue further
for an enhanced lifestyle. The alpha score of the scales is
between 0.81- 0.91, indicating good consistency and
validity. The satisfaction with life scale by Diener et al.
(1985) was used to check the overall satisfaction level of
women with menopause. The alpha score of 0.74
indicates good consistency. WHOQOL-BREF was drafted
by Alison Harper (1998) on behalf of the WHO and was
used to assess women's quality of life during their
menopausal transition. The scale checks the impact of
several physical, mental, social, and environmental
factors on individuals' quality of life. The scale's alpha
score ranges from 0.66 to 0.84, indicating good internal
consistency.
The study method was reviewed to determine if it adhered
to the American Psychological Association Ethical code
of conduct by Institutional Review Board (IRB), and
modifications were made based on the review received.
After the approval from the IRB on data collection, the
measurement tools, consent form, and demographic
checklist were converted into digital forms and circulated
using various social media platforms. The participants
had to sign the consent form based on their responses to
the consent. They were allowed to proceed further with
filling out the measurement tools.
4.3 Sample
A total of 145 women responded to the online survey. After
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data cleaning, 114 women were under the 40–45 age
group, and further statistical analysis was done. For data
analysis, only one demographic factor was considered,
occupational status. The categories of occupational
status were working women and non-working women. The
number of participants based on working women was 64,
and there were 50 non-working women.
4.4 Analytical Procedure
After conducting the questionnaires, the researcher
scored each questionnaire separately to find out the
individual and group scores. The data analyses were
conducted using the Statistical Package for the Social
Sciences. The Shapiro-Wilk test was conducted for
normality testing, revealing that the data was not normally
distributed. Non-parametric tests were for further testing.
Spearman's correlation test was used to check the
relationship between the variables. The Mann-Whitney U
test was used to measure the difference between the two
groups, working and non-working.
5. Data Analysis
The present study aimed to identify the relationship
between meaning in life, satisfaction with life, and quality
of life among peri-menopausal women in India. Further,
the study measured the differences between working and
non-working peri-menopausal women's quality of life,
satisfaction with life, and meaning in life.
Table 1 shows the descriptive statistic of the study. A total
of 145 women were accepted to participate in the study,
and data from 114 women was eligible for further analysis.
A low response rate of 29% was identified as the target
population size was 500 and only 145 responded.
Demographic factors such as occupational status were
considered, where 64 women were working and 50 were
not. For meaning in life, the mean value is 48.62 (the sub-
scales' mean scores are 26.02 for the presence of
meaning and 22.59 for the search for meaning) and
Variables N SD Mean
Meaning in Life 9.973 48.62
Satisfaction with Life 114 7.329 22.48
Quality of Life 14.173 86.55
Table 1. Descriptive Statistics of Participants
(Peri-Menopausal Women, N=114)
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9.973 as the standard deviation. The satisfaction with life
means shows a value of 22.48 and a standard deviation
of 7.329. The mean quality of life score was 86.55 (the
sub-scale mean scores are 22.73 for physical, 20.28
for psychological, 7.14 for social, and 27.90 for
environmental) with a 14.173 standard deviation.
Further, to check the normality of the data, the Shapiro-
Wilke normality distribution test was run in SPSS v25, which
shows that the data was not normally distributed. The
statistical output allows the authors to use non-parametric
statistical analysis to measure the correlations and
differences.
To measure variable relationships, Spearman's correlation
test was used (Spearman, 1987). The Spearman's
Coefficient Correlation test scores are shown in Table 2.
The study's first hypothesis states a significant correlation
between meaning in life and satisfaction with life among
peri-menopausal women during the Pandemic. The test
score indicates that meaning in life and satisfaction with
life among peri-menopausal women during the
Pandemic is statistically significant and positively
correlated with rs (114) = 0.262, p = 0.005 (a
-significant
value = 0.01). Hence, the hypothesis is accepted.
The second hypothesis aimed to check if meaning in life
correlates with the quality of life. The test scores indicate
that per-menopausal women's meaning in life and
quality of life does not have a statistically significant
correlation with rs (144) = 0.135, p = 0.152. Therefore, the
hypothesis is rejected.
The third hypothesis of the study states that there is a
statistically significant relationship between quality of life
and satisfaction with life. The r-scores revealed that the
quality of life positively correlates with the satisfaction of
peri-menopausal women during the Pandemic with rs
(114) = 0.220, p = 0.019 (a
-significant value = 0.05),
which indicates a statistically significant correlation.
Variables Meaning in Life Satisfaction with Life Quality of Life
MiL 1
SwL 0.262** 1
QoL 0.135 0.220*
**p < 0.01, *p<0.05
Table 2. Coefficient Correlation (r) between MiL, SwL, and QoL
20
Hence, the hypothesis is accepted.
Further, to check the differences in variables, the Mann-
Whitney U test (Mann & Whitney, 1947) was conducted to
measure the differences between working and non-
working peri-menopausal women. The scores are shown
in Table 3. The fourth hypothesis of the study was to check if
meaning in life has any significant differences between
working and non-working peri-menopausal women. The
scores indicate no significant differences in meaning in
life as the mean rank of working peri-menopausal women
was 58.91 and 55.70 for non-working peri-menopausal
women. The asymptomatic significance value was 0.668,
greater than the 0.05 significance level. Therefore, the
hypothesis is rejected.
The fifth hypothesis states significant differences in
satisfaction with life among working and non-working peri-
menopausal women. The mean rank scores of 63.24 and
50.15 for working and non-working participants,
respectively, indicate a difference. The asymptomatic
significance of 0.036, less than 0.05, revealed that mean
differences are statistically different. Hence, the
hypothesis is accepted, and satisfaction with life differs
between working and non-working peri-menopausal
women.
The sixth hypothesis tends to measure if the quality of life
differs between working and non-working peri-
menopausal women. The mean rank score of 58.67 for
working women and 56.00 for non-working women
indicates a slight difference in the quality of life between
the two categories. However, the asymptomatic
significance score of 0.607, greater than 0.05, revealed
that quality of life has no statistically significant differences
between working and non-working peri-menopausal
women. Hence, the hypothesis is rejected.
Variables Occupational Status Mean Rank Asym Sig
Meaning in Life Working 58.91 0.607
Non-Working 55.70
Satisfaction with Life Working 63.24 0.036**
Non-Working 50.15
Quality of Life Working 58.67 0.668
Non-Working 56.00
1
**p < 0.05
Table 3. Mann Whitney U Test on Differences in Working and
Non-Working Peri-Menopausal Women in MiL, SwL, and QoL
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6. Discussion
The present study aimed to explore how peri-menopausal
women viewed their lives during the pandemic. The
study measured quality of life, satisfaction with life, and
meaning in life among peri-menopausal women across
India during the pandemic. Further, the study statistically
analysed if meaning in life, quality of life, and satisfaction
with life correlated among peri-menopausal women and
if the variables mentioned differed among working and
non-working peri-menopausal women.
The descriptive data of the study revealed that the overall
mean score of meaning in life was average among the
peri-menopausal women. Within subscales, the
presence of meaning was high, and the search for
meaning was low, indicating that participant peri-
menopausal women could feel that their lives have a
sense of meaning and purpose; however, they are not
actively seeking new meaning (Rose et al., 2017). The
level of satisfaction with life among peri-menopausal
women was slightly higher, and the quality of life was
measured at an average level.
Spearmen's correlation test revealed that Meaning in life
and Satisfaction with life correlated among peri-
menopausal women. The findings support the study of
Süss and Ehlert (2020), as they revealed that satisfied
women tend to have a meaningful life. Women determine
their quality of life during their peri-menopausal transitions
based on social and personal factors. Social factors are
support from their partners and medical facilities, and
personal factors are self-acceptance, emotional stability,
a sense of cohesiveness, and resilience. The social and
personal factors are strongly interconnected, significantly
contributing to how women perceive themselves and
define their life as meaningful and satisfying (Jafary et al.,
2011).
Moreover, Brown et al. (2014) state that women with higher
self-compassion during the menopausal transition tend
to have a higher meaning in life, increasing their life
satisfaction. Further, these reduce the severity of peri-
menopausal symptoms such as hot flashes, night sweats
and psychological issues such as anxiety and depression.
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Further, pandemic studies show that (Finlay et al., 2021;
Waters et al., 2022) women could cope with the changes
around them with the feeling of identifying and
discovering themselves during the pandemic, which
leads to a more meaningful and satisfying life.
The study further revealed no significant relationship
between meaning in life and quality of life among peri-
menopausal women during the pandemic. The finding
does not validate the evidence of Jafary et al. (2011), as
they state that meaningful relationships and a healthy
social lifestyle led to a better quality of life. Women in their
menopausal transition need to look at numerous factors,
such as social-personal and health-related aspects,
which will pre-determine their quality of life during their
menopausal transition. The pandemic could be a vital
influence on how women perceive their lives; how they
viewed their lives before the pandemic was different from
how they viewed them during the pandemic (Barongo,
2021). Evidence shows that women during the pandemic
understood the physiological and psychological
meaning of living. Women's perception of meaning in
their lives could be how they have served themselves and
others (de Jong et al., 2020). More than the quality, the
meaning-making process was more associated with how
they identified the purpose and service during the
transition of the pandemic and the perimenopause.
Quality of life and satisfaction were found to have a
significant relationship among peri-menopausal women.
The finding validates the study of Singh & Sivakami (2020),
where women's quality of life determines their satisfaction
with life during their menopausal transition. The quality of
life was more closely related to health and medical
support. However, during the pandemic, health has been
the primary concern globally; social support and
relationships were significant factors determining how
women perceived their lives (Cucinotta & Vanelli, 2020).
Women were highly cautious about their health and well-
being, which determines their satisfaction with health and
livelihood. Women reported higher negative emotions,
such as stress and anxiety, affecting their quality of life. A
study on women under the age group of 40–50 by
Zembala-John (2021) identifies that 63 percent of the
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women feel their quality of life has worsened during the
pandemic. Lack of physical activities, relationships with
their friends, and financial situations directly influence
their quality of life, determining if they are satisfied with
their lives.
Further, the study checked if the occupational status of
peri-menopausal women differs in viewing their lives
during the pandemic. The findings show a significant
difference in meaning and quality of life among working
and non-working peri-menopausal women during the
pandemic. The finding does not validate the studies of
Sinha (2017); Chung and Lippe (2020), which indicated
that working women tend to have a more meaningful life
and a higher quality of life. As the global pandemic has
changed the work structure, the differences could dilute
(Del Boca et al., 2020). The shift from offline to online
working mode made working women handle a similar
amount of household activities to non-working women
and their professional workers, which put much more
burden during the pandemic (Sriharan et al., 2020).
Conclusion
Recent pandemic studies show high stress among
women working from home compared to women who
are not working. Increased stress levels were associated
with poor work-life balance, financial overburden, and
quality of life (Mirudhubashini et al., 2020: Soman &
Mohanan, 2022). However, the insignificance in quality of
life and meaning among working and non-working
women could be because of the nature of the
population. The data were primarily collected from
women coming from urban areas, which significantly
depicts indifference. Urban women during the peri-
menopausal stage tend to show a much higher quality of
life and meaning than women living in rural locations
(Evans et al., 2020). With dual responsibilities, working
women were highly stressed during the pandemic.
However, the study by Adisa et al. (2021) indicates that the
pandemic allowed working women to engage more with
their family members, partners, and children, which
rejuvenated closeness and family values.
Moreover, women who were not working were similarly
22 i-manager’s Journal on Nursing, Vol. 12 l
able to spend more time with their family members who
were primarily busy throughout the day (Zhao et al., 2019).
During the menopausal transition, women look for higher
social support and closeness from family members
(Biadsy-Ashkar & Peleg, 2013). The pandemic was when
they could spend most of their time with their family. Such
factors could elevate the quality of life and how peri-
menopausal women develop meaning in their life.
Further, the study revealed that satisfaction with life differs
between working and non-working peri-menopausal
women during the pandemic. The findings validate the
study by Okulicz-Kozaryn and Valente (2018), where they
identified that middle-aged working women's satisfaction
with life differs from that of women who are not working.
However, their study also revealed that working women
had less satisfaction with life than non-working women,
which contradicts the present study's finding. The current
study states that working peri-menopausal women have
significantly higher satisfaction than women who are not
working. Biadsy-Ashkar and Peleg (2013) identified a
similar pattern among middle-aged women, where
women who were engaged in professional activities
tended to show much higher satisfaction with life than
those who were not. Such differences could be due to
cultural demands on non-working women, which limit
their expression of emotions (Jones et al., 2012). With
many taboos on menopause, women who are not
working and dependent on their spouses might feel
uncomfortable discussing their health-related concerns
with their family members (Arnot et al., 2021). At the same
time, working women might be more comfortable and
independent in sharing their concerns with their family
members, which gives them much more emotional
support than non-working women (Sathiyaseelan &
Balasundaram, 2014).
To conclude, the present study made a unique
contribution to women's reproductive health research in
the Indian population. No studies have been done in the
Indian context to identify how peri-menopausal women
viewed their lives during a health crisis, the coronavirus
pandemic. Further, the study attempts to identify how
working and non-working peri-menopausal women view
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their lives in three aspects, quality of life, satisfaction with
life, and meaning during the pandemic.
Limitation
As the study tried to establish the relationship between
meaning in life, satisfaction with life, and quality of life for
peri-menopausal women, the lack of previous literature
was a major limitation. Further, the response rate of the
study was significantly low, and data collection was done
online, limiting the authors' ability to reach out to women
who would have wished to participate in the study through
offline form filling. Limited access to technology and the
breakdown of connectivity due to the pandemic were
significant limitations for researchers in reaching out to the
rural population. Researchers had to rely only on the
urban population data, which was difficult to generalise
with the large female population in India. Moreover, the
study failed to establish a significant difference in
meaning in life and quality of life among the two
categories or a correlation between meaning in life and
quality of life. Such could be the case because of the
small population size. Future studies on a larger
population, including both rural and urban populations,
with a longitudinal-mixed research method could provide
a more in-depth overview and holistic approach to
identifying the needs and concerns of peri-menopausal
women in India.
Practical Implications
The present study will significantly help in determining the
quality of women's lives, especially among peri-
menopausal women in India, focusing on working and
non-working women. The study could also provide a clear
overview of what could improve women's health and
quality of life.
·Contribution to Women's Health and Safety in India:
The present study contributes to understand several
prospects of women's health and safety during their
menopausal transition. As there is a handful of
literature, this literature will significantly add to
women's health research and help develop a
strategy to enhance women's health-related quality
of life.
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·Health and Positive Psychology of India: This study
could provide a strong foundation in the field of
Health and Positive Psychology in India. It provides an
in-depth overview of women's health's positive and
social aspects. Such factors will encourage
researchers to develop interventions and conduct
further research to understand in-depth issues and
conditions during the menopausal transition among
Indian women.
·Mindfulness and Menopause: Integrating
mindfulness in women's lives will help develop a
higher sense of awareness and connection between
the physical and mental (Sathiyaseelan &
Balasundaram, 2014), and adding mindfulness
activity at work tends to elevate the quality of life
(Patangia et al., 2021). Reducing the severity and
adding positive affect in life, especially during the
menopausal transit, allows women to explore more
and enhance their quality of life.
·Developing Policies and Schemes: Women's health
has always been a concern around the globe.
Nevertheless, this study focuses on the Indian
population, especially during a health crisis, when
health support is in significant need for a highly
vulnerable population like menopausal women. The
current study describes several factors that directly
influence women, whether working or not. Identifying
the right factors will allow the public and private
sectors to create a healthy and safe work
environment.
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ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Dr. Anuradha Sathiyaseelan is a Professor at the Department of Psychology, School of Social Sciences, CHRIST (deemed to be
University), Bengaluru, India. She holds a Bachelors in Rehabilitation Science and Masters in Psychology. Her Ph.D. is in Psycho-
Oncology from The Tamil Nadu Dr. MGR Medical University in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. She has also completed an MBA in Human
Resources and Management. She has worked in the field of mental health for about 25 years in various institutions such as
Schizophrenia Research Foundations, which is a WHO collaborative centre for research in mental health in India, and
Narayana Hrudayalaya. She is guiding research scholars for the award of a Ph.D. degree in Psychology in the areas of Psycho-
Oncology, Clinical Psychology, Positive Psychology, and Health Psychology. She serves as an academic council member, a
member of the board of examinations, and a member of prestigious institutions such as the World Association for Psychosocial
Rehabilitation (WAPR), APA,SRA, and other universities. She collaborates with professors from Miami University (USA), the
Autonomous University of San Luis Potosi, Mexico, the Zurich University of Social Sciences (ZHAW) in Zurich, and the University of
Applied Sciences Northwestern Switzerland. For the past two decades, her work has involved mindfulness and holistic wellness.
She is a trained mindfulness therapist who practises and helps individuals learn it through webinars, individual sessions, and
workshops.

Bishal Patangia is a Post-Graduate Student of Psychology, specialising in Human Resource Development and Management at
the Department of Psychology, School of Social Science, CHRIST (deemed to be University), Bengaluru, India. He is also working
as a Business and L&D Consultant with TimesPro and BCCL, developing various training and development programs focusing
on health at the workplace, well-being, and corporate growth. He is currently working on different national and international
research projects emphasising public health in general. He holds a triple major in Psychology, Sociology, and English Literature.
He has received international affiliation from the Society of Industrial and Organizational Psychology, Ohio, and the
International Association of Applied Psychology, USA. His research primarily focuses on occupational health and safety in
healthcare, public health, and trauma at the workplace.

Soumonetra Chaudhury is a hardworking, dedicated, and meticulous postgraduate student in Clinical Psychology from
CHRIST (deemed to be University), Bengaluru, India. She has been a valedictorian in her undergraduate degree and was
awarded the Gold Medal for securing Rank 1. She has a keen interest in the areas of Psychopathology, Trauma, and Personality
Disorder and has worked with several NGOs working with underprivileged and specially-abled children. She aspires to be a
Clinical Psychologist and wants to contribute to women's welfare. Apart from this, she loves to read, sing, and travel.

Ashwini is a research scholar at CHRIST (deemed to be University) pursuing her Ph.D. in Psychology. She is curious about the
human mind and the various behaviours it concocts. She uses empathy and research to uncover the same. Her primary
research area focuses on Social Psychology, Personal Narratives, Meaning-making, and Self-concept. Although a qualitative
expert, she has experience with multiple research approaches and designs. She also has experience conducting research for
organisations to develop their strategies and assess the impact.

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