The role of anxiety in vaginismus: a case-control study.
BACKGROUND
Previous research suggests that anxiety may play a large role in the symptoms of vaginismus.


OBJECTIVE
We aimed to (i) determine the degree of self-reported general anxiety in women with vaginismus; and (ii) establish whether general anxiety is a consequence of the condition or a predisposing factor.


METHODS
Participants reported state and trait anxiety, five-factor personality scores, history of anxiety disorders, and their perceptions of their symptoms and history.


METHODS
We compared responses of 244 self-identified women with vaginismus with a control group of 101 women using an online questionnaire.


RESULTS
The women with vaginismus were higher in trait anxiety and neuroticism, and lower in extraversion, than the controls. There was also a trend toward a greater prevalence of diagnosed anxiety disorders in the vaginismus group. Levels of state anxiety were high among the women with vaginismus, particularly when they felt unsupported by their partners or pressured to cure the condition.


CONCLUSIONS
Levels of general anxiety are elevated among women with vaginismus and the data suggest that anxiety-proneness may be a predisposing factor for the condition. We conclude that although vaginismus is a multidimensional condition, it may have common predisposing factors with anxiety disorders.
Watts
Gayle
G
Newcastle University, Institute of Neuroscience, Newcastle, UK.
Nettle
Daniel
D
D000328:Adult; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D015897:Comorbidity; D003242:Conscience; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005120:Extraversion, Psychological; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D009497:Neurotic Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D010555:Personality Inventory / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011594:Psychometrics; D012016:Reference Values; D012919:Social Behavior; D052065:Vaginismus / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology