ABSTRACT

Sexual dysfunction is associated with disorders commonly diagnosed in service members/veterans (SM/Vs; e.g., depression, posttraumatic stress disorder) and increased risk for suicide in service women. Theory indicates depression may play an important role in predicting sexual dysfunction in the presence of certain mental health challenges, such as disordered eating symptoms. Given the risk for depression and incidence of eating disorders in women SM/Vs, the current study examined whether depressive symptoms mediated the association of disordered eating symptoms and sexual dysfunction in women SM/Vs. Participants (n = 494) were recruited via social media and completed measures of sexual function, disordered eating symptoms, depressive symptom severity, a demographic inventory, and measures of relationship satisfaction and trauma exposure (covariates). Based on self-report measures, probable sexual dysfunction, eating disorder, and depressive disorders were found among 58.70%, 38.5%, and 44.13% of participants, respectively. The relationship of higher disordered eating symptoms and lower sexual function was indirect, through higher depressive symptoms (indirect effect: −0.57, 95% confidence interval: −0.82, −0.34). Findings underscore the importance of screening for sexual function, particularly when disordered eating behavior or depression is present. Integrating treatment for sexual function into existing treatments for women SM/Vs with disordered eating and depression symptoms may be valuable.

摘要

性功能障碍与服役人员/退伍军人常见的疾病（SM/Vs；例如抑郁症、创伤后应激障碍）和服役妇女自杀风险增加有关。理论表明，在存在某些心理健康挑战（例如饮食失调症状）的情况下，抑郁症可能在预测性功能障碍方面发挥重要作用。鉴于女性 SM/V 患抑郁症的风险和饮食失调的发生率，目前的研究检查了抑郁症状是否介导了女性 SM/V 的饮食失调症状和性功能障碍的关联。参与者（n= 494）是通过社交媒体招募的，并完成了性功能、饮食失调症状、抑郁症状严重程度、人口统计以及关系满意度和创伤暴露（协变量）的测量。根据自我报告测量，分别有 58.70%、38.5% 和 44.13% 的参与者发现可能的性功能障碍、饮食失调和抑郁障碍。较高的饮食失调症状和较低的性功能之间的关系是间接的，通过较高的抑郁症状（间接效应：-0.57，95% 置信区间：-0.82，-0.34）。研究结果强调了筛查性功能的重要性，尤其是在存在饮食失调或抑郁症时。