Master of Science / School of Family Studies and Human Services / Jared A. Durtschi / Depression is a pervasive mental health concern; thus, it is important to identify modifiable risk factors associated with reducing depressive symptoms across time. Using 1,946 married and cohabiting German couples assessed annually across 4 years from the Panel Analysis of Intimate Relationships and Family Dynamics (Pairfam) study, we tested if shifts across time in sexual satisfaction and relationship satisfaction were linked with expected shifts in trajectories of depressive symptoms using dyadic time-varying covariate growth models. For both men and women, higher sexual and relationship satisfaction scores across time were significantly associated with decreasing their own depressive symptom trajectories across time, but only relationship satisfaction was linked with a shift in their partners’ trajectories of depressive symptoms. Potential clinical implications from these results include the treatment of depressive symptoms by making changes across time in their own relationship satisfaction and sexual satisfaction.

Researchers have noted the important role which passion plays in people's lives. This study investigated an existing theoretical framework of passion and suggests an additional construct, inhibition, to this framework in regards to sexual passion. Additionally, this study investigated the constructs of passion and how they relate to sexual and relationship satisfaction. A sample of 1,429 men and women completed the Sexual Passion Scale, the Sexual Satisfaction Scale, and the Relationship Satisfaction Scale. Confirmatory factor analyses revealed that sexual passion may represent three distinct approaches (harmonious, obsessive, inhibited). In terms of sexual and relationship satisfaction, data analyses revealed that the harmonious passion scale is the best predictor. Overall, these findings may further the discussion in understanding the complex nature of sexual passion in committed, long-term relationships.

This descriptive, comparative, correlational study explored the relationships among demographic characteristics, health histories, disease characteristics, body image, anxiety and depression, sexual relationship power, female sexual function, and sexual satisfaction; examined sexual self-schema as a moderator or mediator on female sexual function and sexual satisfaction; and compared the differences in female sexual function and sexual satisfaction between women with gynecological or rectal cancer and women without any cancer. Fifty-five females with gynecological or rectal cancer in the study group and 72 females without any cancer in the comparison group completed seven structured questionnaires. For females in the study group, a significant negative relationship existed between time since surgery and anxiety and depression, between the number of cancer treatments and female sexual function, and between performance status and anxiety and depression. In addition, a significant positive relationship existed between performance status and sexual relationship power and between the number of cancer treatments and sexual satisfaction. Further, body image was significantly related to anxiety and depression, sexual relationship power, sexual self-schema, and sexual satisfaction. The anxiety and depression factor was significantly linked with sexual relationship power, female sexual function, and sexual satisfaction. There was a significant negative relationship between sexual satisfaction and sexual relationship power and between sexual satisfaction and female sexual function. Also, females in the study group reported significantly worse sexual function and sexual satisfaction than females in the comparison group. A hierarchical multiple regression model accounted for 40% of the variance in female sexual function, and gynecological/rectal cancer, body image, and the interaction between sexual relationship power and sexual self-schema were three significant predictors. After controlling for gynecological/rectal cancer, body image, sexual relationship power, sexual self-schema, and the interaction term between sexual relationship power and sexual self-schema, female sexual function accounted for 17% of the variance in sexual satisfaction. In unsolicited comments, females in the study group described the changes in their sexual lives after surgery and treatments, emphasizing that sexual information should be provided promptly and effectively by health care providers. The study findings led to implications and recommendations for the conceptual framework, nursing practice, research, and education. / text

This study examined sexual frequency, sexual satisfaction, and marital satisfaction in connection with the emotional climate within which it exists, using data from a 13-year longitudinal study about marriage. First, affection and negativity were used to predict sexual frequency. Second, affection, negativity and sexual frequency were used to predict spouses' sexual satisfaction. Third, sexual frequency and spouses' sexual satisfaction were used to predict marital satisfaction. A positive association was found between affection and sexual frequency, whereas no association was found between negativity and sexual frequency. Affection was found to be associated with higher sexual satisfaction for husbands in the early years of marriage and negativity was associated with lower sexual satisfaction for both spouses. An association was also found between one's own sexual satisfaction and marital satisfaction. No association was found between sexual frequency and marital satisfaction when the emotional climate was considered. / text

abstract: Despite the population of transgender individuals in the United States doubling from 2011 to 2016, this population is one of the most understudied in psychological science. Of the available research, the associations between gender congruence, defined as an individual’s body matching their gender identity, and well-being have been examined, particularly demonstrating positive associations between gender congruence and overall life satisfaction. However, there remains a dearth of research on the possible associations between gender congruence and relational well-being - particularly sexual satisfaction - and possible moderating effects of the internal negative feelings regarding one’s identity (internalized transphobia). To address these gaps in the literature, this study gathered data from 165 binary transgender men. While there was not an effect of gender congruence on sexual satisfaction, internalized transphobia was found to moderate this association such that individuals who reported high internalized transphobia and high gender congruence reported the highest sexual satisfaction. Results of this study highlight the existing literature on the negative associations between internalized transphobia and well-being for transgender individuals. Implications for counselors are discussed, including advocacy efforts and implementation of techniques to facilitate growth and resilience to help transgender clients navigate the negative effects of internalized transphobia. / Dissertation/Thesis / Masters Thesis Counseling 2020

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This study of 535 older married couples examined the relationship between depression and health and sexual satisfaction directly and when mediated by communication. The sample included 535 older couples who completed a survey questionnaire known as Project Couple Retire. Among the items in the questionnaire were measures of depression, health, perception of sexual intimacy, communication and other demographic information. Results from Structural Equation Modeling indicated that for women, health was a significant predictor of sexual satisfaction. For both genders, the results suggest that depression, when mediated by communication, is a predictor of sexual satisfaction among older couples.

Research indicates that having high sexual satisfaction during pregnancy is difficult for couples. This negative trend is important considering that low sexual satisfaction can negatively affect both relationship satisfaction, psychological health, and child outcomes. However, there is evidence that this trend does not apply to all and different groups of couples exist in terms of their sexual satisfaction in pregnancy. Guided by family systems theory and the biopsychosocial model, the current study explored if different subsets of couples, composed of pregnant wives and husbands, exist in terms of their sexual satisfaction during pregnancy and what factors distinguish potential subsets. Using U.S. nationally representative data from 523 pregnant married couples and latent profile analysis adjusting for pregnancy-related biological factors, two subsets of pregnant couples were identified—a larger subset of couples where wives and husbands were satisfied with sex overall (79%) and a smaller subset where wives and husbands were neutral about satisfaction with sex (21%). Having lower depressive symptoms among wives was associated with a greater likelihood of being in the more satisfied subset over the less satisfied subset—the only significant predictor among a variety of biological, psychological, and relational factors, including sexual frequency. Implications include the notion that most U.S. couples do well in navigating the sexual challenges in their control during pregnancy and the importance for medical professionals, practitioners, and educators to help women maintain good mental health during pregnancy in order to better sexual, relational, and psychological outcomes for expectant couples and improve early childhood outcomes.

Guided by recent literature and theory addressing pornography use, the current study examined the associations between pornography use and acceptance of pornography and whether they predict sexual satisfaction as reported by both husbands and wives. Using data from the Relationship Evaluation Questionnaire (RELATE) (N=335 couples), a common-fate approach was used to examine both common and unique attributes of husbands and wives among pornography use, acceptance of pornography, and sexual satisfaction. Results indicate that pornography use was positively associated with pornography acceptance, but that pornography acceptance did not mediate the relationship between pornography use and sexual satisfaction. Husbands’ pornography use was negatively associated with husbands’ unique sexual satisfaction while wives’ pornography use was positively associated with couples’ shared sexual satisfaction, but negatively associated with wives’ unique sexual satisfaction. Findings emphasize pornography use as being a coupling dynamic within marriages.

Little is known about how fat talk - a verbal expression of body image concerns - functions within romantic relationships. This study used vignettes about a fictional couple to examine how varied levels of a woman's fat talk were perceived by participants as affecting a fictional couple's relationship and sexual satisfaction. Participants were recruited from Amazon Mechanical Turk and included 239 heterosexual people (127 men, 112 women) with long-term relationship experience. Using a 3 (Level of Body Talk: Excessive vs. Minimal Fat Talk vs. Self-Accepting Talk) × 2 (Participant Gender: Male vs. Female) × 2 (Perspective: Husband vs. Wife) between-subjects design, participants read a vignette where the target woman used varying levels of body talk when speaking with her partner. Afterwards, participants completed a series of questionnaires to report on their perceptions of the couple's relationship and sexual satisfaction. Supporting hypotheses, results indicated that participants in the Excessive Fat Talk condition perceived lower relationship and sexual satisfaction levels than the Minimal Fat Talk and Self-Accepting Body Talk conditions. No differences emerged between those exposed to the Self-Accepting and Minimal Fat Talk vignette dialog. Male participants reported lower perceived relationship quality and sexual satisfaction than women participants. Research in this area is in its infancy, and more is needed (especially with actual couples) to better understand how fat talk, as a behavioral function of poor body image, impacts relationship functioning.