Department of Primary Care and Mental Health, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK.
Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK.
J Sex Med. 2021 Jan;18(1):50-62. doi: 10.1016/j.jsxm.2020.11.002. Epub 2020 Nov 27.
The use of sex to cope with negative affective states during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic may be influenced by various sociodemographic and psychological characteristics.
We aimed to examine the effects of social distancing, loneliness, difficulties in emotion regulation, and self-regulation on participants self-reported coping using sex during lockdown in the United Kingdom.
Participants had to be residents of the United Kingdom, aged between 18-60 years, fluent in English, and had to have an Internet connection. They were instructed not to participate if they had consumed alcohol in the previous 24 hours. A total of 789 participants aged 18-59 years completed an online survey. Participants provided self-report measures of social distancing, loneliness, and difficulties in emotion regulation. A Go/No-Go task was used to assess self-regulation.
Participants self-reported their use of sex to cope over a 14-day period during lockdown, as well as retrospectively for a 14-day period immediately preceding lockdown. Coping using sex items included consensual and non-consensual themes.
Overall, there was no increase in coping using sex during lockdown compared with before lockdown. Findings showed that 30% of participants reported increased coping using sex during lockdown compared with before, 29% reported decreased coping using sex, and 41% reported no change. All regression models included age, gender, ethnicity, diagnosis of psychiatric condition, level of education, being at high-risk for difficulties relating to COVID-19, living alone, and diagnosed or suspected COVID-19 as covariates. Being younger, being male, and greater emotion dysregulation were associated with higher coping using sex total and consent subscale scores during lockdown. Being younger, being male, not living alone, and less adherence to social distancing advice were associated with coping using sex with a theme of rape/violence during lockdown.
A proportion of participants used sex to cope more often during lockdown compared with before. Less adherence to social distancing advice and emotion dysregulation were associated with using sex to cope during lockdown.
STRENGTHS & LIMITATIONS: Strengths of this study were the large sample size and inclusion of key sociodemographic characteristics as covariates. The main limitations were the cross-sectional design and a sample that was mostly white, educated, and female.
Participants who had difficulty regulating emotions were more likely to use sex to cope. It is important that support is available for people who have problems regulating their emotions during the pandemic and that they have access to appropriate help and advice. Gillespie SM, Jones A, Uzieblo K, et al. Coping Using Sex During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Outbreak in the United Kingdom. J Sex Med 2021;18:50-62.
在 2019 年冠状病毒病（COVID-19）大流行期间，利用性行为来应对负面情绪状态，可能受到各种社会人口学和心理特征的影响。
我们旨在研究社会隔离、孤独感、情绪调节困难和自我调节能力对英国封锁期间参与者使用性作为应对方式的自我报告的影响。
参与者必须是英国居民，年龄在 18-60 岁之间，精通英语，并且必须具备互联网连接。如果他们在前 24 小时内饮酒，则不允许他们参加。共有 789 名 18-59 岁的参与者完成了在线调查。参与者提供了社会隔离、孤独感和情绪调节困难的自我报告测量。使用 Go/No-Go 任务评估自我调节能力。
参与者自我报告了在封锁期间的 14 天内以及封锁前的 14 天内使用性来应对的情况。使用性来应对的项目包括双方同意和非双方同意的主题。
总体而言，与封锁前相比，封锁期间使用性来应对的情况并没有增加。研究结果表明，30%的参与者报告在封锁期间比之前更多地使用性来应对，29%的参与者报告减少了使用性来应对，41%的参与者报告没有变化。所有回归模型都将年龄、性别、种族、精神疾病诊断、教育程度、因 COVID-19 而面临困难的高风险、独居以及 COVID-19 的诊断或疑似作为协变量。年轻、男性和情绪调节困难与封锁期间更高的总性应对和同意子量表得分相关。年轻、男性、独居和较少遵守社会隔离建议与封锁期间涉及强奸/暴力的性应对主题相关。
与封锁前相比，一部分参与者更频繁地使用性来应对。较少遵守社会隔离建议和情绪调节困难与封锁期间使用性来应对有关。
本研究的优势在于样本量大，并将关键社会人口学特征作为协变量纳入其中。主要局限性是横断面设计以及样本主要是白人、受过教育和女性。
情绪调节困难的参与者更有可能使用性来应对。在大流行期间，为有情绪调节问题的人提供支持，并确保他们获得适当的帮助和建议非常重要。Gillespie SM、Jones A、Uzieblo K 等人。在英国，COVID-19 爆发期间使用性应对。J 性医学 2021；18:50-62。
