The relationship between worry, sexual aversion, and low sexual desire.
The psychological trait of worry is associated with many psychiatric conditions and maladaptive ways of coping, but is relationship to sexual dysfunctions, and desire disorders in particular, is unclear. In this study, we assessed the relationship between worry, sexual aversion, and low sexual desire using the Sexual Aversion Scale, the Hurlbert Index of Low Sexual Desire, and the Penn State Worry Questionnaire. Data were collected from 138 college undergraduates. As expected, results showed a modest but significant relationship between sexual aversion and low sexual desire, which is consistent with the taxonomy of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th ed.; American Psychiatric Association, 1994), which lists sexual aversion disorder and hypoactive sexual desire disorder as separate but related conditions. Contrary to our prediction, however, the tendency to worry was no more related to sexual aversion than it was to low sexual desire. The relationship between these variables was significant, but it was also relatively weak. We conclude that chronic and intense worry may predispose one to certain anxiety disorders, but it does not appear to be a risk factor for sexual desire problems in nonclinical populations.
Katz
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RC
Psychology Department, University of the Pacific, Stockton, California 95211, USA. RKatz@UOP.edu
Jardine
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D
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological / Q000502:physiology; D000328:Adult; D001007:Anxiety / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007989:Libido / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D020018:Sexual Dysfunctions, Psychological / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires