title: Women's Sex-Related Dissociation: The Effects of Alcohol Intoxication, Attentional Control Instructions, and History of Childhood Sexual Abuse.
abstract: This study examined influences of alcohol intoxication, attentional control, and childhood sexual abuse (CSA) severity on sex-related dissociation. Sex-related dissociation is defined here as dissociation (e.g., feeling as if the world is unreal and feeling disconnected from one's body) during sexual activity or in the presence of sexual stimuli. Women (N = 70) were randomized to a 2 (alcohol condition: none,.10% peak breath alcohol concentration) X 2 (attentional control instructions: none, "relax and maximize" sexual arousal) experiment and exposed to sexual stimuli. Alcohol intoxication was positively associated with sex-related dissociation. CSA severity and sex-related dissociation were positively associated in the no-instruction condition but not in the "relax and maximize" condition. For some women, efforts to relax and maximize sexual arousal may buffer the association between CSA and sex-related dissociation.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Psychology, University of Washington , Seattle , Washington , USA.
authors.forename: Elizabeth R
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: Bird
authors.affiliation: b Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, Medical University of South Carolina , Charleston , South Carolina , USA.
authors.forename: Amanda K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Gilmore
authors.affiliation: c Department of Psychiatry, University of Washington , Seattle , Washington , USA.
authors.forename: Cynthia A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Stappenbeck
authors.affiliation: d Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University and the Kinsey Institute , Bloomington , Indiana , USA.
authors.forename: Julia R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Heiman
authors.affiliation: e School of Social Work, University of Washington , Seattle , Washington , USA.
authors.forename: Kelly Cue
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Davis
authors.affiliation: f Alcohol and Drug Abuse Institute, University of Washington , Seattle , Washington , USA.
authors.forename: Jeanette
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Norris
authors.affiliation: a Department of Psychology, University of Washington , Seattle , Washington , USA.
authors.forename: William H
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: George
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D054523:Adult Survivors of Child Abuse / Q000523:psychology*; D000339:Affect / Q000187:drug effects*; D000435:Alcoholic Intoxication / Q000523:psychology*; D000070379:Attentional Bias; D001294:Attitude to Health; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D000068356:Self-Control; D012725:Sexual Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult