Religious Coping, Spirituality, and Hypersexual Behavior Among College Students

Abstract

Empirical investigations of hypersexuality among college students are limited, yet, the uniqueness of the college setting warrants further examination of the issue. Two constructs to explore in relation to collegiate hypersexual behavior are religion and spirituality, as researchers have linked both to compulsive sexual behavior. We administered a 1-time, paper survey to undergraduate students at a large, public University in the southwest. Analysis of the 235 completed surveys (58% male, 42% female) indicated that 11.1% of students in the total sample (16.2% males) were hypersexual. Further, a hierarchical multiple regression analysis revealed that lower levels of Purpose/Meaning (i.e., spirituality) and higher levels of Negative Religious Coping significantly predicted hypersexual behavior. Specifically, religious coping and spirituality accounted for 11% of the variance in collegiate hypersexuality beyond demographic variables. We provide recommendations for counselors and suggestions for future research.