Relationships between risky sexual behaviour, dysexecutive problems, and mental health in the years following interdisciplinary TBI rehabilitation

ABSTRACT

Little is known about the long-term consequences of traumatic brain injury (TBI) regarding risky sexual behaviour. The objectives of the study were (1) to compare risky sexual behaviour in a sample of individuals with TBI having received interdisciplinary rehabilitation with that of healthy controls, and (2) to explore the relationships between risky sexual behaviour, executive functions, and mental health in individuals with TBI. The study group consisted of 42 individuals with TBI with a mean age of 37.9 years (SD = 9.7), 12.8 years of education (SD = 3.3), and 3.3 years post-injury (SD = 4.3). Healthy controls consisted of 47 participants, with a mean age of 37.6 years (SD = 10.7), and 13 years of education (SD = 3). Risky sexual behaviour was measured with the Sexual Risk Survey and executive function with the Dysexecutive Questionnaire. Mental health measures included the Generalised Anxiety Disorder Scale, and the Patient Health Questionnaire for depression. Compared to healthy controls, individuals with TBI reported more dysexecutive and mental health problems, without differences in risky sexual behaviour. In individuals with TBI, risky sexual behaviour was associated with behavioural, cognitive and emotional dysexecutive problems, but not with anxiety or depression. It was concluded that special attention should be given to individuals with TBI showing difficulties in executive functions given their association with risky sexual behaviour.

KEYWORDS:

• Sexuality
• traumatic brain injury
• risky sexual behaviour
• executive function
• anxiety
• depression

Acknowledgements

The authors wish to thank the CRIR, CERNEC, and Faculté des études supérieures et postdoctorales de l'Université de Montréal (scholarships to J.A.M.), the CRLB for partial funding of this study (grant to M.M.), as well to the participants who took part in the study.

Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.