Where Do Sexual Dysfunctions Fit into the Meta-Structure of Psychopathology? A Factor Mixture Analysis

Miriam K. Forbes*, Andrew J. Baillie, Carolyn A. Schniering

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

8 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Sexual dysfunctions have not been included in research on the broad structure of psychopathology to date, despite their high prevalence and impact on quality of life. Preliminary research has shown that they may fit well in an internalizing spectrum, alongside depressive and anxiety disorders. This study compared dimensional and categorical models of the relationships between depression, anxiety, and sexual problems with “hybrid” models (i.e., factor mixture analyses), which combine dimensional and categorical components simultaneously. Participants (n = 1000) were selectively recruited to include a range of symptom levels, and completed a series of self-report measures online. A hybrid model that combined dimensional and categorical components fit best for men and women. Taken together, the results are consistent with a nosology that explicitly recognizes the relationships between the diagnostic chapters of depressive and anxiety disorders and sexual dysfunctions, but still maintains discrete diagnoses, which is compatible with the structure of the DSM-5 and upcoming ICD-11.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1883-1896
Number of pages14
JournalArchives of Sexual Behavior
Volume45
Issue number8
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Nov 2016

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Where Do Sexual Dysfunctions Fit into the Meta-Structure of Psychopathology? A Factor Mixture Analysis'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this