Utah State University, 2810 Old Main St, Logan, UT 84322, United States.
VA Puget Sound Healthcare System, Seattle Division, 1660 S Columbian Way, 116-MHC, Seattle, WA, 98108, United States.
J Affect Disord. 2022 Mar 15;301:352-359. doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2021.12.106. Epub 2021 Dec 26.
The presence of a post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) diagnosis or higher PTSD severity is associated with higher overall sexual dysfunction in female service members/veterans. However, the mechanisms linking PTSD to specific components of women's sexual arousal function, like lubrication and mental arousal, are unknown.
We conducted a survey among 464 women who reported probable Criterion A exposure for PTSD. Path analysis examined (1) the association of PTSD with sexual arousal, (2) whether specific PTSD symptom clusters were uniquely associated with sexual arousal, and (3) whether this association is indirect, through the effects of higher depression severity and lower romantic relationship satisfaction. Arousal was operationalized to measure both mental (subjective arousal) and physical (lubrication) experiences.
Higher PTSD severity was associated with lower lubrication and arousal function. The association of PTSD severity with arousal was indirect, through lower romantic relationship satisfaction (estimate: -0.12; 95% CI: [-0.014, -0.007]) and higher depression (estimate: -0.08, 95% CI: [-0.012, -0.002]). The association of PTSD severity with lubrication was also indirect, but only through lower relationship satisfaction (estimate: -0.10, 95% CI: [-0.013, -0.006]). PTSD symptom clusters were not uniquely associated with arousal and lubrication through mediated pathways.
Data were from a cross-sectional study using a convenience sample. Criterion A exposure could not be confirmed.
PTSD may lead to arousal and lubrication dysfunction by contributing to higher depression severity and strained romantic relationships. Interventions targeting reductions in depressive symptoms and bolstering relationship satisfaction may minimize the burden of PTSD on sexual arousal concerns.
患有创伤后应激障碍（PTSD）诊断或更高 PTSD 严重程度与女性军人/退伍军人的整体性功能障碍较高有关。然而，将 PTSD 与女性性唤起功能的特定组成部分（如润滑和精神唤起）联系起来的机制尚不清楚。
我们对 464 名报告 PTSD 可能符合 A 标准暴露的女性进行了调查。路径分析检验了（1）PTSD 与性唤起的关系，（2）特定 PTSD 症状群是否与性唤起有独特的关联，以及（3）这种关联是否通过更高的抑郁严重程度和更低的浪漫关系满意度的影响间接发生。唤起被定义为测量心理（主观唤起）和身体（润滑）体验。
更高的 PTSD 严重程度与较低的润滑和唤起功能有关。PTSD 严重程度与唤起的关系是间接的，通过较低的浪漫关系满意度（估计值：-0.12；95%CI：[-0.014，-0.007]）和较高的抑郁（估计值：-0.08，95%CI：[-0.012，-0.002]）。PTSD 严重程度与润滑的关系也是间接的，但仅通过较低的关系满意度（估计值：-0.10，95%CI：[-0.013，-0.006]）。PTSD 症状群并未通过中介途径与唤起和润滑有独特的关联。
数据来自使用方便样本的横断面研究。A 标准暴露无法得到证实。
PTSD 可能通过导致更高的抑郁严重程度和紧张的浪漫关系导致唤起和润滑功能障碍。针对降低抑郁症状和增强关系满意度的干预措施可能会最大限度地减少 PTSD 对性唤起问题的负担。
