Perceived stress and mental health in perimenopausal women: a serial mediation study of psychological distress and social support

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Perimenopausal women experience heightened mental health disorders, with perceived stress identified as a key risk factor.
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The study surveyed 549 Chinese perimenopausal women to explore the relationship between perceived stress, psychological distress, and social support.
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Findings indicate that perceived stress significantly correlates with increased psychological symptom severity and is mediated by psychological distress and social support.
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Psychological distress and perceived social support independently mediate the relationship between perceived stress and psychological symptom severity.
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Improving mental health in perimenopausal women requires addressing psychological distress and enhancing social support systems.

Frontiers In Psychiatry

by Tingting Ruan, Ying Yuan, Yiwei Li, Lijia Hou, Xuyan Liu, Shuling Ye, Jing Lu, Xue Tang, Yang Liu
May 20, 2026

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