The relationship between sexual dysfunctions and symptoms of depression and anxiety, emotion regulation difficulties in married women

Objective: The present study aimed to analyze the relationship between sexual dysfunctions, depression and anxiety symptoms, and emotional regulation difficulties, and also to test the internalization spectrum consisting of sexual problems, distress and fear dimensions and to determine the predictive power of the internalization spectrum of emotion regulation difficulties in married women. Material and Methods: The study was conducted with 295 married women who participated in online surveys via social media between November 6, 2021 and April 10, 2022. Data were obtained with the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI), Female Sexual Distress Scale-Revised (FSDS-R), Inventory of Depression and Anxiety Symptoms-II (IDAS-II), and Difficulty in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS). In the analysis of the data, descriptive statistics, correlation, t-test, hierarchical regression analysis and structural equation modeling were used. Results: According to the results of the correlation analysis, it was determined that the study variables were correlated. Sexual function (FSFI) scores differed according to physical illness, menopause, regular menstruation, and spouse's sexual disorder, sexual distress (FSDS-R) scores differed according to psychiatric diagnosis and spouse's sexual disorder. Sexual function and sexual distress were predicted by symptoms of depression and anxiety and emotion regulation difficulties. The three-dimensional structure of the internalization spectrum was confirmed by structural equation modeling. Internalization spectrum were predicted by emotion regulation difficulties. Conclusion: The present study; within the scope of the HiTOP (The Hierarchical Taxonomy of Psychopathology) Model, internalization spectrum consisted of sexual problems, distress and fear subfactors. Emotion regulation difficulties were conceived as a risk factor for the internalizing spectrum consisting of these subfactors. Keywords: Anxiety, Depression, Emotion Regulation Difficulties, Sexual Dysfunctions, The Hierarchical Taxonomy of Psychopathology Model