Introduction
Past research suggests a
link between post‐traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and an increased risk for sexual
problems. However, there is still no clear picture whether these higher rates are
related to trauma exposure or to PTSD itself.
Aim
The aim of the present study
was to complement existing knowledge on the relative impact of trauma and PTSD on sexuality in later life, considering different
aspects of trauma exposure on both men and women.
Methods
The study was conducted on
a unique population sample of former Swiss
indentured child laborers (55 men,M age 78, age range 60–95
years) who have repeatedly experienced a variety of severe childhood traumas.
Main Outcome Measures
Sexual outcomes were measured
using two scales from the Trauma Symptom Inventory—Dysfunctional Sexual Behavior
(DSB) and Sexual Concerns (SC). PTSD symptoms and trauma were assessed with the Short
Screening Scale for PTSD and the Composite International Diagnostic Interview,
respectively.
Results
Twenty‐two individuals showed PTSD symptoms,
and 53 reported having experienced childhood trauma. Significant differences between
men and women were reported for DSB and SC.
Men reported a significantly higher prevalence of both SC and DSB compared
with women.
Conclusions
This is the very first study
investigating DSB and SC in a sample of older adults exposed to similar
traumatic experiences and settings. However, some study limitations need to be considered
such as the small sample size. Additional studies are needed to further explore
the relative role of traumatization and PTSD on sexual behavior and well‐being, especially to improve sexual
therapy for patients who experience trauma.
...Although there is an extensive body of literature suggesting
the tendency for sexual abuse alone to predict sexual symptoms (e.g., Briere
et al. [13, 20]), only physical abuse was significantly associated
with sexual concerns in this study. None of the other trauma exposure types
(i.e., sexual or emotional abuse) were associated with either SC or DSB. These
findings are in line with a recent epidemiologic study, which found a
significant relationship between previous experiences of any kind of abuse and
sexual impairment of various domains of women's sexual functioning [10]. The study further revealed that the
specific form of abuse was irrelevant to the development of sexual problems,
suggesting that different types of abuse—whether they are of emotional, sexual,
or physical nature—all have similar effects on one's emotional regulation and
sexuality. This study also supports our findings concerning the artificial
categorization of the various traumas into interpersonal vs.
accidental—interpersonal trauma was more significantly associated with SC
compared with accidental trauma. Further, no specific effects of cumulative
trauma on sexual behavior could be detected in the present study, but
additional research including both men and women and assessing different types
of trauma events is needed.
Overall, the results of this study support that neither time
of the traumatic event nor screening positively for PTSD symptoms is an
independent risk factor or predictor for sexual problems...
By: 
1 Andrea Burri, PhD, 1 and Andreas Maercker, PhD, MD 1
1 Andrea Burri, PhD, 1 and Andreas Maercker, PhD, MD 1
1University of Zurich—Department of
Psychology, Zurich, Switzerland
Corresponding
author.
*Corresponding
Author: Karin Rechsteiner, MSc, University of Zurich—Psychology,
Binzmühlestrasse 14/17, Zürich 8050, Switzerland. Tel: 41‐44‐635‐73‐12;
E‐mail: moc.liamg@nirak.renietshcer
More at: https://twitter.com/hiv insight
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