@article {38956,
	title = {Psychological but not vasomotor symptoms are associated with temperament and character traits},
	journal = {Climacteric},
	volume = {17},
	number = {4},
	year = {2014},
	note = {10.3109/13697137.2014.890180},
	month = {Aug},
	pages = {500-9},
	edition = {20140308},
	abstract = {OBJECTIVE: Recent evidence suggests that climacteric symptoms may be intensified by specific temperament and personality traits in postmenopausal women. In this study we investigate Cloninger{\textquoteright}s model of personality in relation to menopausal symptoms. METHODS: One-hundred and seventy peri- and postmenopausal women consecutively recruited from a menopause clinic of an academic hospital completed the Cloninger{\textquoteright}s Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI-140) which measures four dimensions of temperament: Harm avoidance, Novelty seeking, Reward dependence and Persistence, as well as three dimensions of character: Self-directedness, Cooperativeness, and Self-transcendence. Menopausal somatic, vasomotor and psychological symptoms were also assessed using the Greene Climacteric Scale. RESULTS: In comparison to the norms of the Greek general population, postmenopausal women presented lower scores in Novelty seeking and Reward dependence and higher scores in Persistence, Self-directedness, Cooperativeness and Self-transcendence. Higher harm avoidance (the inclination to avoid potential punishment, be shy and fearful of uncertainty) significantly correlated with anxiety and depressive symptoms while lower Self-directedness (the ability to have the willpower to adapt to or overcome any changes) correlated with depressive symptoms only. By multivariate regression analysis, higher Harm avoidance and lower Self-directedness were independently associated with the presence of depressive symptoms. No significant associations were observed between TCI-140 traits and somatic or vasomotor symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings indicate that most temperament and character traits according to Cloninger{\textquoteright}s model in peri- and postmenopausal women varied significantly as compared to the general population. Among several traits, high Harm avoidance and low Self-directedness were most strongly associated with psychological climacteric distress but not with somatic and vasomotor symptoms.},
	keywords = {*Anxiety/etiology/physiopathology/psychology, *Depression/etiology/physiopathology/psychology, *Hot Flashes/etiology/physiopathology/psychology, *Menopause/physiology/psychology, *Personality/classification/physiology, Adaptation, Psychological/*physiology, anxiety, character, Cross-Sectional Studies, Depression, Female, Greece, Harm avoidance, Humans, menopause, Middle Aged, personality, Personality Inventory, Self-directedness, Statistics as Topic, Temperament, Temperament/*classification, Vasomotor System/physiopathology},
	isbn = {1369-7137},
	author = {Kokras, N and Papadopoulos, L. and Zervas, I.M. and Spyropoulou, A. and Stamatelopoulos, K. and Rizos, D. and Creatsa, M. and Augoulea, A. and Papadimitriou, G.N. and Lambrinoudaki, I.}
}
