title: [Female sexual functioning: the role of psychopathology].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In the study of the relationship between sexuality and psychopathology, female sexual functioning appears to be relatively poorly explored. In addition, most studies have been conducted on clinical samples, so that the question of whether non-clinically relevant psychopathological symptoms may have a negative impact on women's sexual response still remains unanswered. The aim of this study was to analyze the influence of psychopathology on specific phases of sexual functioning (desire, arousal, lubrication, orgasm, satisfaction) and pain in a sample of young women without psychiatric case history.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two questionnaires were administered to a sample of female students in Psychology of the University of Florence (n=75): the Symptom Checklist (SCL-90) to evaluate psychic distress and the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) for data collection on sexual functioning.
  
  
  RESULTS
  44 questionnaires were valid. The dimensions of SCL-90 explain a relatively high percentage of variance of the global severity index of sexuality (R²=0.49); significant predictors were: somatization (Beta=-0.75), depression (Beta=-0.89), anxiety (Beta=-0.79), and hostility (Beta=-0.48). The same variables were significant predictors, though at a lesser extent, for all the single dimensions of sexuality, with the exception of pain, on which only hostility had a significant correlation (Beta=-0.55).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although the small size and the peculiar characteristics of the sample do not allow to extrapolate the results, the findings of this study show that psychopathological dimensions can affect female sexual functioning at subclinical level in the absence of the confounding effect of drug therapy.
authors: Maria Novella
authors: MN
authors: Papini
authors: Giulia
authors: G
authors: Fioravanti
authors: Gabriela
authors: G
authors: Talamba
authors: Laura
authors: L
authors: Benni
authors: Chiara
authors: C
authors: Pracucci
authors: Lucia
authors: L
authors: Godini
authors: Lisa
authors: L
authors: Lazzeretti
authors: Silvia
authors: S
authors: Casale
authors: Carlo
authors: C
authors: Faravelli
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000150:complications*; D008875:Middle Aged; D020018:Sexual Dysfunctions, Psychological / Q000209:etiology*; D055815:Young Adult