Investigation of attachment types, cognitive emotion regulation strategies and metacognitions in women diagnosed with genito pelvic pain penetration disorder

Purpose: In this study, it was aimed to compare the groups of women diagnosed with genito pelvic pain penetration disorder and healthy controls in terms of attachment styles, cognitive emotion regulation strategies, metacognition and cognition related to vaginal panetration and examine the possible relationships between attachment styles, cognitive emotion regulation strategies, metacognition, and cognition of vaginal panetration in patients diagnosed with genito pelvic pain penetration disorder. Materials and Methods: The study included 47 patients, diagnosed with genito pelvic pain penetration disorder according to the DSM-5 diagnostic criteria and 46 healthy individuals, matched with patients group sociodemographically, have not any mental disorder who gave written consent. They were performed SCID-1, The Golombok-Rust Inventory of Sexual Satisfaction, The cognitive emotion regulation scale, Metacognitions Questionnaire, Vaginal Penetration Cognition Questionnaire . Same processes was also performed for control group Results: There was no significant difference between the two groups in terms of marital status, educational status, profession and place of residence. GRISS frequency, communication, satisfaction, avoidance, sensuality, vaginismus, anorgasmia subscales; CERQ self-blame, rumination, catastrophizing, re-focus on planning, positive reappraisal; MCQ-30 uncontrollability and danger, cognitive confidence, need for control; VPCQ control cognitions, self-image cognitions, catastrophic and pain cognitions, genital incompatibility cognitions scores were found to be significantly significant in the group diagnosed with genito pelvic pain penetration disorder compared to the control group. The model showed that the anxious attachment scores increased the negative cognitions of the VPCQ in three different ways, the level of anxious attachment was not directly related to the CERQ subscales, but there was relation between anxious attachment and the CERQ subscales through the need for control metacognition. Discussion: In this study, it was observed that the anxious attachment scores increased the negative cognition of vaginal penetration both direct and with less use of compatible cognitive emotion regulation strategies, more use of incompatible strategies, and an increase in pathological cognition in patients diagnosed with genito pelvic pain penetration disorder. Considering the possible effectiveness of reducing negative cognition for vaginal penetration in treatment, although the interventions in these areas are important, the level of anxious attachment and the need for thought control seems to have an important place. Key Words: attachment, cognitive emotion regulation, metacognition, cognition, vaginismus