Jepsen Dennis, Luck Tobias, Bernard Marie, Moor Irene, Watzke Stefan
Institute of Medical Sociology, Interdisciplinary Center of Health Sciences, Medical Faculty, Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), Germany.
Faculty of Applied Social Sciences, University of Applied Sciences Erfurt, Erfurt, Germany.
Front Psychiatry. 2023 Mar 16;14:1088747. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1088747. eCollection 2023.
Hypersexual and hyposexual behaviors are common concomitant of substance use disorders (SUD). On the one hand, the regular consumption of alcohol or illegal drugs can lead to hypersexual or hyposexual behavior due to its effects on the organism; on the other hand, the use of psychotropic substances is also used as a coping strategy concerning already existing sexual impairments. The aforementioned disorders show similarities in terms of their etiology, as traumatic experiences get special attention as potential risk factors for the development of addictions, hypersexual, and hyposexual behavior.
The study aims to explore the association between SUD characteristics and hypersexual/hyposexual behavior, and a potential moderating effect of early traumatic life events by answering the following research questions: (1) Do people with SUD differ from a sample of people with other psychiatric disorders regarding hypersexual and hyposexual behavior? (2) What are the associations between the presence of sexual problems and different characteristics of the SUD (e.g., mono vs. polysubstance use, type of addictive substance, intensity of the disorder)? (3) What influence do traumatic experiences in childhood and adolescence have on the existence of sexual disorders among adults with a diagnosed SUD?
The target group of this cross-sectional ex-post-facto study comprises adults diagnosed with an alcohol- and/or substance use disorder. Data will be collected with an online survey, which will be promoted via several support and networking services for people diagnosed with SUD. Two control groups will be surveyed, one consisting of people with other psychiatric disorders than SUD and traumatic experiences, and one healthy group. Relations between the dependent variables (hypersexual and hyposexual behavior) and independent variables (sociodemographic information, medical and psychiatric status, intensity of the prevalent SUD, traumatic experiences, and symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder) will be initially calculated via correlations and linear regression. Risk factors will be identified via multivariate regression.
Gaining relevant knowledge promises new perspectives for prevention, diagnosis, case conception, and therapy of SUDs as well as problematic sexual behaviors. The results can provide more information about the importance of psychosexual impairments regarding the development and maintenance of SUDs.
性行为亢进和减退是物质使用障碍（SUD）常见的伴随症状。一方面，经常饮酒或使用非法药物会因其对机体的影响导致性行为亢进或减退；另一方面，使用精神活性物质也被用作应对已存在的性功能障碍的一种策略。上述障碍在病因方面存在相似性，因为创伤性经历作为成瘾、性行为亢进和减退行为发展的潜在危险因素受到特别关注。
本研究旨在通过回答以下研究问题，探讨物质使用障碍特征与性行为亢进/减退行为之间的关联，以及早期创伤性生活事件的潜在调节作用：（1）患有物质使用障碍的人与患有其他精神障碍的人群在性行为亢进和减退行为方面是否存在差异？（2）性问题的存在与物质使用障碍的不同特征（例如，单一物质使用与多物质使用、成瘾物质类型、障碍强度）之间有何关联？（3）童年和青少年时期的创伤经历对已确诊患有物质使用障碍的成年人的性功能障碍的存在有何影响？
这项横断面事后回溯研究的目标群体包括被诊断患有酒精和/或物质使用障碍的成年人。数据将通过在线调查收集，该调查将通过为被诊断患有物质使用障碍的人提供的多个支持和社交网络服务进行推广。将对两个对照组进行调查，一组由患有除物质使用障碍和创伤经历之外的其他精神障碍的人组成，另一组为健康组。首先将通过相关性和线性回归计算因变量（性行为亢进和减退行为）与自变量（社会人口统计学信息、医学和精神状态、普遍存在的物质使用障碍强度、创伤经历以及创伤后应激障碍症状）之间的关系。将通过多元回归确定危险因素。
获取相关知识有望为物质使用障碍以及有问题的性行为的预防、诊断、病例构想和治疗带来新的视角。研究结果可以提供更多关于性心理障碍在物质使用障碍的发展和维持中的重要性的信息。
