A Population-Based Study Investigating the Association Between Sexual and Relationship Satisfaction and Psychological Distress Among Heterosexuals

Abstract

This study examined whether sexual/relationship satisfaction are differentially associated with mental health issues. Using data from a population-based computer-assisted telephone survey, the authors included in this study 3,800 respondents who had a regular heterosexual partner. The authors used 2 methods of scoring the K6 to produce measures of moderate psychological distress and serious psychological distress. Overall, 8.8% of men and 12.1% of women were classified as having moderate psychological distress, whereas 1.6% of men and 3.2% of women were classified as currently experiencing serious psychological distress. The association between satisfaction and mental health was influenced by sex and the severity of the mental health issue but not by type of satisfaction. After adjusting for demographic differences in mental health, low ratings of sexual/relationship satisfaction were both consistently associated with higher levels of moderate psychological distress in men and women and higher proportions of serious psychological distress in men. Although women may be able to resolve their satisfaction issues during less severe stages of psychological distress, for men there was a strong association between low sexual/relationship satisfaction and serious psychological distress.

Acknowledgments

The study was funded by the National Health and Medical Research Council (grants 234409 and 487304). The authors thank Jason Ferris for assistance with data management and the Hunter Valley Research Foundation for data collection. The authors also thank Professor Kessler for feedback on the weighting procedure used for calculating moderate psychological distress.

Notes

^aAdjusted for age, education, paid employment, and current tobacco smoker.

^bAdjusted for education, paid employment, and current alcohol drinker.

^aAdjusted for education, live with most recent sexual partner, current tobacco smoker.

^bAdjusted for education, live with most recent sexual partner, current tobacco smoker.

^aAdjusted for age, education, paid employment, and current tobacco smoker.

^bAdjusted for education, paid employment, and current alcohol drinker.

^aAdjusted for education, live with most recent sexual partner, current tobacco smoker.

^bAdjusted for education, live with most recent sexual partner, current tobacco smoker.