Exploring the Role of Masturbation as a Coping Strategy in Women

Figures & data

Table 1. Sociodemographic variables.

Variable	Participants
	n	%
Education
Apprenticeship	18	5
High school/secondary school/BMS	126	34
Higher school of education	48	13
University/ETH/PH	175	47
Other	3	1
Nationality
Switzerland	317	86
Germany	16	4
Austria	12	3
Other	25	7
Religion
Christianity	186	50
Judaism	1	0
Islam	6	2
Buddhism	0	0
No religion	173	47
Other	4	1
Practicing religion
Not religious	203	55
A little religious	102	28
Medium religious	48	13
Very religious	12	3
Highly religious	5	1
Civil status
Never been married	306	83
Married	32	9
Registered partnership/concubinage	19	5
Separated/divorced	6	2
Other	7	2
Sexual orientation
Heterosexual	315	85
Lesbian	6	2
Bisexual	34	9
Pansexual	10	3
Other	5	1
Relationship status
Close relationship	237	64
Single	112	30
Other	21	6
Cohabitation
Yes	107	29
No	151	71
Children
Yes	32	9
No	338	91
Sexual assault
Yes	80	22
No	280	76
Don’t want to answer	10	3
Hormonal contraception
Yes	155	42
No	256	58
Breastfeeding
Yes	5	1
No	365	99

Table 2. Masturbation frequency, psychological distress, and sexual function depending on mode of stimulation.

Variable	Masturbation frequency				Psychological distress				Sexual function
	M	SD	Min.	Max.	M	SD	Min.	Max.	M	SD	Min.	Max.
Clitoral stimulation (n = 256, 62%)	9.19	7.19	1	30	0.56	0.41	0.00	2.26	27.66	5.36	3.80	35.40
Combined clitoral and vaginal stimulation (n = 114, 27%)	7.08	5.44	1	30	0.51	0.47	0.00	2.96	27.19	6.37	1.60	36.00

Note. N = 370. Masturbation frequency = days of masturbation in one representative month in the past three months; Psychological distress = Global Severity Index of the Symptom-Checklist-27 (SCL-27 GSI); Sexual function = Total score of the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI-d) (Berner et al., 2004).

Table 3. Regression results with covariates for the association between psychological distress and clitoral masturbation frequency.

Variable	Regression model										Regression model (bootstrap)
	B	β	SE	t	95% CI for B	p	F	df	p	Adj. R^2	B	SD	95% CI for B	p
Model global severity index							5.36	3; 252	.001**	.049
(Intercept)	6.72		0.78	8.58	[5.18, 8.26]	<.001***					6.74	0.73	[5.34, 8.18]	<.05*
Global severity index	2.60	0.15	1.06	2.40	[0.51, 4.69]	.015*					2.57	1.08	[0.44, 4.69]	<.05*
Single	2.63	0.17	0.97	2.71	[0.72, 4.54]	.007**					2.61	1.04	[0.67, 4.71]	<.05*
Other relationship status	3.41	0.11	1.93	1.77	[−0.39, 7.20]	.078					3.39	2.41	[−1.09, 8.39]	>.05
Model depressive symptoms							3.78	3; 252	.011*	.032
(Intercept)	7.57		0.71	10.63	[6.17, 8.97]	<.001***					7.57	0.65	[6.31, 8.87]	<.05*
Depressive symptoms	0.91	0.07	0.75	1.20	[−0.58, 2.39]	.230					0.91	0.77	[−0.60, 2.44]	>.05
Single	2.65	0.17	0.98	2.71	[0.72, 4.58]	.007**					2.64	1.05	[0.66, 4.77]	<.05*
Other relationship status	3.45	0.11	1.96	1.77	[−0.40, 7.31]	.079					3.45	2.46	[−1.14, 8.50]	>.05
Model dysthymic symptoms							7.55	3; 252	<.001***	.072
(Intercept)	6.46		0.71	9.14	[5.07, 7.86]	<.001***					6.46	0.68	[5.12, 7.78]	<.05*
Dysthymic symptoms	2.19	0.21	0.62	3.51	[0.96, 3.41]	<.001***					2.18	0.68	[0.86, 3.50]	<.05*
Single	240	0.15	0.96	2.49	[0.50, 4.29]	.013*					2.39	1.03	[0.45, 4.44]	<.05*
Other relationship status	3.04	0.10	1.91	1.60	[−0.71, 6.80]	.112					3.04	2.53	[−1.64, 8.25]	>.05
Model vegetative symptoms							3.35	3; 252	.027*	.027
(Intercept)	7.95		0.68	11.76	[6.62, 9.28]	<.001***					7.95	0.60	[6.81, 9.15]	<.05*
Vegetative symptoms	0.40	0.03	0.89	0.46	[−1.34, 2.15]	.649					0.41	0.74	[−1.00, 1.90]	>.05
Single	2.70	0.17	0.98	2.74	[0.76, 4.63]	.007**					2.67	1.05	[0.70, 4.79]	<.05*
Other relationship status	3.74	0.12	1.95	1.92	[−0.09, 7.57]	.056					3.73	2.53	[−0.97, 8.97]	>.05
Model agoraphobic symptoms							3.54	3; 252	.015*	.029
(Intercept)	7.89		0.60	13.05	[6.70, 9.08]	<.001***					7.90	0.57	[6.82, 9.03]	<.05*
Agoraphobic symptoms	0.85	0.05	0.99	0.87	[−1.09, 2.80]	.388					0.83	0.90	[−0.99, 2.57]	>.05
Single	2.77	0.18	0.99	2.81	[0.83, 4.72]	.005**					2.76	1.06	[0.72, 4.88]	<.05*
Other relationship status	3.84	0.12	1.94	1.98	[0.02, 7.66]	.049*					3.83	2.49	[−0.84, 8.88]	>.05
Model sociophobic symptoms							4.46	3; 252	.005**	.039
(Intercept)	7.31		0.70	10.51	[5.94, 8.68]	<.001***					7.34	0.69	[6.02, 8.68]	<.05*
Sociophobic symptoms	1.25	0.11	0.68	1.84	[−0.08, 2.58]	.066					1.20	0.77	[−0.39, 2.67]	>.05
Single	2.58	0.16	0.98	2.65	[0.66, 4.51]	.009**					2.57	1.05	[0.60, 4.68]	<.05*
Other relationship status	3.89	0.13	1.93	2.01	[0.09, 7.69]	.045*					3.85	2.38	[−0.72, 8.68]	>.05
Model symptoms of mistrust							5.81	3; 252	<.001***	.054
(Intercept)	7.05		0.66	10.65	[5.75, 8.36]	<.001***					7.06	0.59	[5.94, 8.20]	<.05*
Symptoms of mistrust	1.91	0.17	0.71	2.70	[0.52, 3.30]	.007**					1.90	0.74	[0.46, 3.37]	<.05*
Single	2.45	0.16	0.97	2.52	[0.54, 4.36]	.012*					2.44	1.05	[0.47, 4.53]	<.05*
Other relationship status	3.38	0.11	1.92	1.76	[−0.41, 7.16]	.080					3.37	2.42	[−1.16, 8.35]	>.05

Note. N = 256. 95% CI for B: confidence interval value for unstandardized beta values. Signif. codes: 0 “***” 0.001 “**” 0.01 “*” 0.05 “.” 0.1.

Berner, M., Kriston, L., Zahradnik, H.-P., Härter, M., & Rohde, A. (2004). Validity and reliability of the German Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI-d). Geburtshilfe Und Frauenheilkunde, 64, 293–303. https://doi.org/10.1055/s-2004-815815

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Data availability statement

Data is available on OSF: https://osf.io/cgys2/?view_only=a740e72afb794f148b4a1db8489a6112.

Code availability statement

Code is available on OSF: https://osf.io/cgys2/?view_only=a740e72afb794f148b4a1db8489a6112.