Attachment Style, Sexual Orientation, and Biological Sex in their Relationships With Gender Role

Cross-sectional and prospective associations between self-compassion and sexual distress in couples coping with sexual interest/arousal disorder

BACKGROUND

When an individual in a relationship is coping with low desire/arousal, both partners experience difficulties, including higher levels of sexual distress. Effective emotional regulation strategies, such as self-compassion, could have individual and interpersonal benefits for couples with sexual interest/arousal disorder (SIAD).

AIM

Using a dyadic design, we examined the role of self-compassion in the sexual distress of couples coping with SIAD, accounting for overall relationship satisfaction. The associations were analyzed cross-sectionally and prospectively. We also explored the moderating roles of having at least one member identify as sexually or gender diverse within the couple in the potential associations between self-compassion and sexual distress.

METHODS

Individuals with SIAD and their partners (N = 263 couples) completed online measures at baseline and 6 months later.

OUTCOMES

Individuals with SIAD and their partners completed the Sexual Distress Scale-Short Form and the Couples Satisfaction Index.

RESULTS

Controlling for relationship satisfaction, when individuals coping with SIAD and their partners reported greater self-compassion at baseline, they also reported lower sexual distress. For partners only, greater self-compassion was associated with the person with SIAD's lower levels of sexual distress at baseline. No statistically significant prospective associations were found between levels of self-compassion and sexual distress 6 months later. Belonging to a sexually diverse couple was a significant moderator of the cross-sectional associations between partners' level of self-compassion and their own level of sexual distress at baseline, such that the link between greater self-compassion and lower sexual distress was observed only in partners belonging to a sexually diverse couple. Belonging to a gender diverse couple did not moderate any of the associations.

CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS

Findings indicate that self-compassion could be a promising tool to reduce sexual distress in couples coping with SIAD.

STRENGTHS & LIMITATIONS

Strengths of this study include the large, diverse sample of couples coping with SIAD, the use of a cross-sectional and prospective design, and the examination of the moderating role of belonging to a gender or sexually diverse couple. However, the possible lack of statistical power to measure moderation based on belonging to a gender diverse couple and the recall bias due to the use of self-report questionnaires should be considered when interpreting the results.

CONCLUSION

Greater self-compassion is associated with lower sexual distress in both partners of couples coping with SIAD. Self-compassion may be particularly beneficial for partners of individuals with SIAD belonging to a sexually diverse couple.

Disruptive mood dysregulation disorder, parental stress, and attachment styles

Disruptive mood dysregulation disorder (DMDD) is a relatively new diagnostic entity concerning children with chronic irritability and severe anger outbursts. Currently, there is limited knowledge about the parental factors associated with the disorder. The aim of this study was to compare stress levels and attachment styles in parents of children with DMDD with those of parents of children with other diagnoses. Our sample consisted of 218 children (6-12 years, M age = 9.68 years) referred to child mental health outpatient clinics. Clinicians used a standardized semi-structured diagnostic interview to identify diagnoses. Parental stress levels and attachment styles were assessed using parent reports. We found that parents of children with DMDD experience significantly higher levels of parenting stress related to factors in the child than parents of children with other diagnoses. Furthermore, parents of children with DMDD show a higher association with insecure adult attachment styles than parents of children without DMDD. Finally, an adult preoccupied-ambivalent attachment style explains the variability in parental stress in the DMDD group to a large degree. We discuss how parental stress and an insecure attachment style can be associated with negative parenting practices. An implication from this study could be that treatment results might be improved by involving parents more in treatment programs for children with DMDD.

The Psychology of Kink: A Cross-Sectional Survey Investigating the Association Between Adult Attachment Style and BDSM-Related Identity Choice in China

BDSM is a type of sexual preference that includes bondage and discipline, dominance and submission, and sadism and masochism. Research has identified three specific power exchange roles in the practice of BDSM: dominance, submission, and switch. It has also been suggested that attachment style potentially influences BDSM interests. This study investigated the potential roles of attachment style in driving BDSM identity. A questionnaire was completed by a cross-sectional Chinese sample (n = 3310, age range 18-30 years), including 1856 BDSM practitioners (436 men, 1420 women). To assess attachment style, the questionnaire included a Chinese translation of the Adult Attachment Scale as well as items surveying BDSM interests. Compared to non-BDSM practitioners, attachment styles were not significantly different from BDSM practitioners. However, practitioners with different BDSM identities showed a significant difference in their attachment styles. Secure and avoidant attachment styles were associated with dominance, whereas submissiveness recorded high average scores of separation anxiety in both males and females. BDSM identities based on gender revealed that 60.5% of female practitioners assumed the role of submissiveness and this group recorded the highest average scores of separation anxiety among all groups. These results show that BDSM identity is related to attachment style. However, the results did not support the hypothesis that attachment styles potentially drive BDSM identities. Further research is needed to explore other psychological processes that drive BDSM identities in order to provide guidance for BDSM practitioners in choosing suitable identities, thereby helping practitioners to choose suitable identity partners and avoid negative experiences during BDSM participation.

Variations in gender identity and sexual orientation of university students

Background

Previous studies have shown that a small percentage of people in the general population have atypical gender identity and/or sexual orientation.

Aim

This study aimed to explore variations in gender identity and sexual orientation in university students and determine genetic factors associated with these variations.

Methods

Deviations from complete gender congruence and exclusive heterosexual orientation in 736 Japanese university students were quantitatively assessed with self-assessment questionnaires. Next, we conducted genetic tests for 80 participants who showed relatively low gender identity scores and/or atypical sexual orientation. These genetic tests consisted of repeat number analysis of the androgen receptor gene (AR) and a SKAT-O: an optimal unified sequence kernel association test, which is an exome-based rare variant association study. The results of the genetic tests were compared with the Japanese reference data and the results of our 637 control samples.

Outcomes

We calculated the gender identity and sexual orientation scores of all participants and analyzed the molecular data of 80 selected participants.

Results

The gender identity scores of 736 participants were broadly distributed: only ~15% of natal males and ~5% of natal females had the maximum score that corresponds to complete gender congruence. The sexual orientation scores also varied: ~80% of natal males and ~60% of natal females showed exclusive heterosexual orientation. We found no association between gender characteristics and AR repeat numbers. The SKAT-O showed that rare damaging variants of TDRP and 3 other genes were more common in the 80 participants than in the control group.

Clinical Implications

Our data support the view that gender is a phenotypic continuum rather than a binary trait.

Strength and Limitations

This study quantitatively assessed the gender characteristics of a large cohort of university students. Moreover, we conducted systematic screening for genetic factors associated with gender variations. The weaknesses of the study were the limited analytic power of the questionnaires, the relatively small sample for molecular analyses, and incomplete clinical information and relatively advanced ages of the control group.

Conclusion

This study revealed significant variations in gender identity and sexual orientation in university students, which may be partly associated with variants in TDRP or other genes.

Hypersexual Behavior and Depression Symptoms among Dating App Users

The use of Dating Applications (DAs) is widespread, and in some cases could be associated with psychosexological issues. Hence, we decided to investigate hypersexual behavior and depression symptoms among DA users and non-users. We recruited a snowball convenience sample of 1000 subjects through an online platform in 2020 for a cross-sectional study. One hundred and nineteen (11.9%) were classified as DA users and 881 as non-users. All subjects completed a sociodemographic questionnaire, the Hypersexual Behavior Inventory (HBI), to assess hypersexuality, and the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) to evaluate depression symptoms. We primarily found higher levels of hypersexual behavior and depression symptoms in DA users compared to non-users. In particular, HBI Total (users = 42.27 ± 16.37 vs. non-users = 31.85 ± 12.06; p < 0.0001), HBI Coping (users = 17.92 ± 8.01 vs. non-users = 13.52 ± 6.03; p < 0.0001), HBI Control (users = 14.73 ± 6.68 vs. non-users = 10.71 ± 4.95; p < 0.0001), HBI Consequences (users = 9.62 ± 4.33 vs. non-users = 7.60 ± 3.37; p < 0.0001), PHQ-9 Depression (users = 12.82 ± 6.64 vs. nonusers = 10.05 ± 5.84; p < 0.0001). On the whole, we found that hypersexual behavior and depression symptoms strongly characterize DAs users; this evidence could represent an important associated factor in DA use for sexual purposes.

A latent profile analysis of romantic attachment anxiety and avoidance

We conducted latent profile analyses on community (n = 1663) and clinical (n = 575) samples to determine whether continuous scores of attachment anxiety and avoidance would lead to the identification of theoretically consistent and clinically useful profiles. We then compared these profiles according to gender, relationship status, psychological distress, and relationship satisfaction. Analysis on the community sample yielded four profiles: secure, preoccupied, dismissive, and fearful individuals; whereas, the clinical sample yielded three profiles: secure, preoccupied, and fearful individuals. In the community sample, there was a higher proportion of women under the preoccupied profile and a higher proportion of men under the dismissive profile compared with the other profiles. Overall, insecure individuals reported higher levels of relationship dissatisfaction and psychological distress, and a relationship status reflecting lower commitment. Our findings suggest that the Experiences in Close Relationships scale could be useful in assisting therapists in conceptualizing their cases according to their patients' attachment profile.

Hypersexual behavior and attachment styles in a non-clinical sample: The mediation role of depression and post-traumatic stress symptoms

INTRODUCTION

Hypersexuality is a complex behavioral dysfunction concerning the excess of sexual activities. In this study, we aim to investigate the role of attachment styles, post-traumatic and depression symptoms in hypersexual behavior.

METHODS

We recruited through an online platform a snowball convenience sample of 1025 subjects (females: n=731; 71.3%; males: 294; 28.7%; age: 29.62±10.90) and we administered them a sociodemographic questionnaire, with a psychometric protocol composed by the Hypersexual Behavior Inventory (HBI) to assess hypersexuality, the Relationship Questionnaire (RQ) for the attachment styles, the International Trauma Questionnaire (ITQ) to evaluate the trauma and Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ) for depression.

RESULTS

We found a significant and predictive impact of preoccupied and fearful attachment styles on hypersexual behavior (β=.116; p<.0001 and β=.121p<.0001, respectively). The categorical analysis of RQ confirmed also statistically significant differences between secure attachment style with fearful and preoccupied ones in terms of HBI levels (secure=30.01±10.79; preoccupied=35.50±14.46; fearful=36.57±13.50). Moreover, we found that depression symptoms and the total score of ITQ also resulted predictive for hypersexuality (β=.323; p<.0001 and β=.063; p<.04). However, in our model, depression and post-traumatic symptoms played a mediation role between insecure attachment and hypersexual behavior.

CONCLUSION

This study found a fundamental role of insecure attachment styles, post-traumatic and depression symptoms in the development of problematic sexuality. Hypersexual behavior is related in a causal manner with an insecure attachment style, fearful and preoccupied attachment, particularly. Nevertheless, the traumatic core of personality together with depression symptoms could play a mediation role towards the hypersexual behavior.

The Inferto-Sex Syndrome (ISS): sexual dysfunction in fertility care setting and assisted reproduction

PURPOSE

Infertility represents a peculiar social burden affecting more than 15% of couples, provoking it a real threat to the general quality of life and to the sexual health. The medicalization (diagnosis, therapy and follow up) of the lack of fertility is frequently a challenge in term of personal and couple's involvement. In particular, while the Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) has allowed many infertile couples to achieve pregnancy, the therapeutic process faced by the couple bears a strong psychological stress that can affect the couple's quality of life, relationship and sexuality. Despite infertility affects both female and male sexual health, only recently the interest in the effects of ART on the couple's sexuality has grown, especially for women.

METHODS

A literature research on the sexual dysfunction in fertility care and particularly in ART setting was performed.

RESULTS

Literature largely found that intimacy and sexuality appear specifically impaired by intrusiveness of treatments and medical prescriptions. Moreover, there is a close relationship between emotional, psychological and sexual aspects, which can be integrated in the new concept of Inferto-Sex Syndrome (ISS) that can impair the ART treatment outcomes. Evidence demonstrates that the assessment of sexual function is necessary in couples undergoing diagnosis of infertility and ART.

CONCLUSION

A close relationship between infertility and sexuality, both in the female and male partners, was detected. ART treatments may heavily impact on the couple's psychosexual health. A couple-centred program for the integrated management of psychological and sexual dysfunction should be considered in the context of ART programs.

Gender role moderates correlation between learning needs and behavioural intention of sexual health care in female nurses

Aim

This study evaluated the correlation between learning needs and behavioural intention of sexual health care in female Registered Nurses and to assess the moderating effect of gender role on this relationship.

Design

In this cross‐sectional questionnaire‐based survey, a convenience sampling of female Registered Nurses was included from Chung Shan Medical University Hospital, Taiwan.

Methods

Three questionnaires were used to obtain self‐reported data on learning needs, behavioural intention and gender role.

Results

Based on gender role scores, 11.8% of participants were feminine, 10.0% were masculine, 31.0% were androgynous and 47.2% were undifferentiated. Significant positive correlations between learning needs and behaviour intention were observed in the total population as well as in undifferentiated, feminine and androgynous nurses (all p < .05). Learning needs were positively associated with the behavioural intention of sexual health care in female nurses, which was moderated by gender role (F = 2.868, p = .036).

Sexual Desire and Fantasies in the LGBT+ Community: a Focus on Bisexuals, Transgender, and Other Shades of the Rainbow

Purpose of Review

The purpose of this review is to summarize the current knowledge on sexual desire expressions, sexual orientation, and identity in understudied groups inside the LGBT+ community.

Recent Findings

Sexual desire and related problems have unique expressions in LGBT+ people which influence their sexual health. Emerging sex-positive approaches might be powerful and prominent tools to provide support and education on behalf of safer sex practices and marginalized sexualities. The importance of deepening LGBT+ sexualities and relationships, not only in lesbian women and gay men but also in all the other shades of the rainbow (bisexual, transgender, asexual, fluid, and non-binary/genderqueer identities), is strongly highlighted.

Summary

A lack of literature regarding sexual desire in LGBT+ people is reported. Results are controversial and research is still limited on this topic, with little information available about sexual and health needs of sexual minorities beyond gay and lesbian people.