Cognitive behavioural therapy for menopausal symptoms: a systematic review of efficacy in improving quality of life.

Menopause, whilst a natural biological transition, can cause a range of symptoms that have a significant, negative impact on some women’s quality of life. Psychological interventions have been proposed as a means of alleviating the detrimental impact of menopausal symptoms and supporting women’s coping capacity during this period. This systematic review evaluates the efficacy of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) in improving menopausal symptoms such as hot flushes, night sweats, anxiety, depression and sleep disturbances and enhancing quality of life. The review covers research published from 1990-Dec 2024 and included randomised control trials, quasi-experimental and observational study designs. A total of 16 studies involving 910 women were identified and analysed, encompassing various CBT formats including group, individual, and self-help interventions. Results demonstrate that CBT significantly improves health-related quality of life and alleviates vasomotor, psychological, and sleep-related symptoms. Group-based CBT yielded the most substantial benefits, while self-help modalities showed moderate but meaningful improvements. The findings underscore CBT’s role as a viable non-pharmacological intervention for menopausal symptom management. This is particularly valuable where hormone replacement therapy is contraindicated or declined. As access to in-person psychological interventions are not available to all, future research should explore whether digital CBT platforms can be effectively adopted to enhance accessibility and scalability.