1. Objectifs

Intentions :
«The current study examined the associations between CM [child maltreatment] and initial levels and trajectories over one year of three dimensions of own and partner’s sexual well-being – sexual satisfaction, sexual distress, and sexual function – as well as whether relationship satisfaction [important levels of intimacy] moderated these associations.» (p. 248)

Questions/Hypothèses :
The authors «predicted that all types of CM would be associated with lower initial levels of participants’ own and their partners’ sexual well-being, as well as with a greater decline in sexual well-being over time.» (p. 250) They also «predicted that the negative associations between CM and sexual well-being would be significant at lower levels of relationship satisfaction but not at higher levels of relationship satisfaction, demonstrating the protective effect of being in a satisfying romantic relationship.» (p. 250)

2. Méthode

Échantillon/Matériau :
«Couples were recruited in 2016 via online advertisements […]. […] To be eligible, both partners had to be at least 18 years of age and together for at least six months.» (p. 250) Overall, the sample included 269 heterosexual couples, who were still together at the 3 different time points.

Instruments :
Questionnaires

Type de traitement des données :
Analyse statistique

3. Résumé

Results from «one-year trends indicated that sexual satisfaction declined in men and women, sexual function declined in men only, and paradoxically, sexual distress also declined in men. These declines have also been reported for sexual and marital satisfaction as well as frequency of sex […].» (p. 254-255) At «a macro level, the results suggest that all types of CM may be negatively related to at least one aspect of adult sexual well-being in romantic relationships, albeit in some cases, only for individuals with lower levels of relationship satisfaction. Although not all types of CM were consistently related to the three dimensions of sexual well-being examined in this study, even a small association with one dimension is noteworthy considering the elapsed time between these negative experiences and sexual well-being in adulthood. Thus, not all individuals who have experienced CM will report these negative outcomes, but all types of CM, including neglect, may have a negative association with sexual well-being. The findings also shed light on key aspects of men and women’s CM that appear to have the most significant associations with their own sexual well-being, specifically, sexual abuse and emotional trauma (i.e., abuse and neglect). […] Although emotional trauma has often been disregarded as a potential predictor of sexual well-being in previous studies […], our findings highlight its negative associations with sexual well-being.» (p. 255)