Heterogeneity in sexual functioning among women with eating disorders: exploring the role of body trusting and need for approval using mixture regression modeling

Résumé fourni par la source

Eating disorders (EDs) are associated with high heterogeneity of sexual dysfunction, but the underlying psychological mechanisms contributing to these difficulties have been poorly investigated. This study aimed to explore whether body trusting and need for approval, two core dimensions of ED psychopathology, are associated with differences in sexual desire across subgroups of women with EDs. A cross-sectional study was conducted with 348 women diagnosed with anorexia nervosa (AN), bulimia nervosa (BN), or binge-eating disorder (BED). Participants completed the Female Sexual Function Index, the Multidimensional Assessment of Interoceptive Awareness, and the Attachment Style Questionnaire. Mixture regression modeling was used to identify clusters based on the prediction of body trusting and need for approval on sexual desire. Multigroup structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to confirm the identified clusters. Two clusters emerged. Cluster 1 showed a negative association of both need for approval and body trusting with sexual desire. Cluster 2 showed the opposite pattern, with both predictors positively associated with sexual desire. SEM confirmed the differential predictive pathways for these psychological traits across clusters membership in predicting desire. Women with EDs show opposite patterns of association between need for approval and body trusting with sexual desire. These findings suggest the utility of interventions targeting interoception and attachment-related features and highlight the importance of individualized approaches to promote sexual well-being in the treatment of EDs. Women with eating disorders may experience difficulties related to sexual well-being, ranging from low sexual desire or discomfort during intimacy to hypersexuality and risky sexual behaviours. This study aimed to explore the psychological mechanisms contributing to these difficulties focusing on two psychological traits, namely the need for others’ approval and trusting the body’s internal signals. Self-report questionnaires about sexuality, body awareness, and relationships were administrated to 348 women with anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, or binge-eating disorder. It was found that women with eating disorders were grouped into two subpopulations. In the first group, half of whom are individuals with anorexia nervosa, heightened need for approval and greater body trusting were linked to lower sexual desire. In the second group, which included two out of three women with bulimia or binge-eating disorder, heightened need for approval and greater body trusting were associated with higher sexual desire. These findings suggest that experiencing of the body as a safe place, along with fear of judgments and rejection, contributes to the heterogenous sexual difficulties observed in women with eating disorders. Individualized treatments should be tailored to improve sexual well-being in women with eating disorders.

Ce résumé expose les affirmations des auteurs. BNTIC ne l’interprète pas comme une validation indépendante des résultats.