Relationship Satisfaction as a Predictor of Treatm

Authors: Kyle R Stephenson Alessandra H Rellini Cindy M Meston

Publish Date: 2012/05/16

Volume: 42, Issue: 1, Pages: 143-152

PDF Link

Abstract

Although recent research suggests that individual cognitive behavioral therapy CBT may be an effective treatment for female sexual dysfunctions we have little information regarding predictors of treatment response The goal of the current study was to assess the degree to which pretreatment relationship satisfaction predicted treatment response to cognitive behavioral sex therapy Women with sexual dysfunction n = 31 M age = 28 years 774  Caucasian receiving cognitivebehavioral sex therapy with or without ginkgo biloba as part of a wider randomized clinical trial were assessed pre and posttreatment using validated selfreport measures of sexual satisfaction sexual distress sexual functioning and relationship satisfaction Pretreatment relationship satisfaction predicted changes in sexual satisfaction and distress but not sexual functioning Women with higher relationship satisfaction at intake experienced larger gains in sexual satisfaction and distress over the course of treatment Pretreatment relationship satisfaction also moderated the association between changes in sexual functioning and changes in sexual distress such that improved functioning was associated with decreased distress only for women entering therapy with high relationship satisfaction These findings suggest that for women with low relationship satisfaction before entering treatment improvement in sexual functioning may not be enough to alleviate their sexual distressThis publication was supported in part by Grant Number 5 RO1 AT00224 from the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine to Cindy M Meston and in part by Grant Number R01 HD51676 from the National Institute for Child Health and Human Development to Cindy M Meston Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine or the National Institute for Child Health and Human Development

Keywords: