Midlife concerns of women: implications of the menopause.

Midlife has received recent attention but is still difficult to define. Women's developmental phases are most appropriately understood as different from men's, with a complex integration of biological context, family development and roles, and individual development. Menopause has been considered a determining event, and a variety of symptoms have been attributed to menopausal changes. Emerging data indicate that menopause does not appear to be responsible for most of the symptoms. Midlife stresses are the result of a combination of personal, family, social, and biological variables, with postmenopausal development an important phase.