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Petreca PhD Dnp Pmhnp-Bc VG, Flanagan PhD Anp-Bc Faan J, S Lyons PhD Fgsa K, W Burgess Dnsc Aprn Faan A. The Reintegration of Men into Society after a Sexual Offense: A Hermeneutic Phenomenology Study. Issues Ment Health Nurs 2024; 45:453-467. [PMID: 38588663 DOI: 10.1080/01612840.2024.2322008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/10/2024]
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to describe the lived experience and meaning of being a 'sex offender' for the individual who is reintegrating into society, considering issues associated with self-perception, perception of others, stigma and humanization. Fourteen male adults were invited to participate in this hermeneutic phenomenological study. Data analysis was completed using an iterative process as described by van Manen. Five major themes were identified: exposed secret leads to humiliation; being considered a sex offender is living in fear of the unknown; stigma and shame consume the identity of the individual charged with a sexual offense; reframing and "leveling" of the crime are coping strategies; and the path toward healing and forgiveness is complex. Contextualizing individuals' experiences and examining barriers and motivators post-charge are essential to minimize stigma and risk factors linked to recidivism, as well as to facilitate recovery and healing.
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Efrati Y, Spada MM. Development and Validation of the Metacognitions about Sex Scale: Exploring its Role as a Mediator between Negative Affect, Emotion Dysregulation Strategies, and Compulsive Sexual Behavior Disorder. JOURNAL OF SEX & MARITAL THERAPY 2023; 50:76-93. [PMID: 37878755 DOI: 10.1080/0092623x.2023.2259894] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2023]
Abstract
Metacognitions about sex are theorized to shape cognitive appraisal, coping mechanisms, and regulation or dysregulation before, during, and/or after exposure to sexual stimuli. In our study, we examined the construct structure and validity of the Metacognitions about Sex Scale (MSS) among a sample of adolescents. We estimated the convergent validity of the MSS by factors: negative affect, dysregulated thoughts, and impulsivity, and compulsive sexual behavior (CSB). We also ran a structural equation model in which we examined the possibility that metacognitions about sex would mediate the association between negative affect, dysregulated thoughts, and impulsivity on the one hand, and CSB on the other. The study population included 662 adolescents (252 boys and 410 girls, M = 16.70, SD = 1.32) between 13-18 years of age. The analyses indicated that the factorial structure of the MSS comprised the two expected factors. We also found that positive and negative metacognitions about sex significantly mediated the effect of negative affect, dysregulated thoughts, and impulsivity on CSB. The findings provide evidence that MSS among Israeli adolescents are psychometrically appropriate for use by researchers and practitioners in the prevention and treatment of CSB.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yaniv Efrati
- Bar-Ilan University, Faculty of Education, Ramat Gan, Israel
| | - Marcantonio M Spada
- Division of Psychology, School of Applied Sciences, London South Bank University, London, UK
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Gewirtz-Meydan A, Spivak-Lavi Z. The association between problematic pornography use and eating disorder symptoms among heterosexual and sexual minority men. Body Image 2023; 45:284-295. [PMID: 37011472 DOI: 10.1016/j.bodyim.2023.03.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2022] [Revised: 03/10/2023] [Accepted: 03/14/2023] [Indexed: 04/05/2023]
Abstract
In this study, we investigated the link between problematic pornography use and eating disorder symptoms in men, with body comparison and body image as mediators, and perceived realism and anxiety and depression as moderators. We also analyzed the model for both heterosexual and sexual minority men to detect any differences. The current study included 705 Israeli men, 479 of whom identified as heterosexual and 226 as sexual minority. The majority of the sample (90.6%) identified as Jewish with a mean age of 32.5. Results showed that problematic pornography use was linked to more upward body comparison, which in turn was related to negative body image, and ultimately, increased severity of eating disorder symptoms. Anxiety and depression moderated the association between male body image and eating disorder symptoms. However, perceived realism did not moderate the link between problematic pornography use and upward body comparison. Whereas there were significant differences in the mean rank values between heterosexual and sexual minority men in all measures, the processes linking these measures were virtually the same. To reduce the risk of developing or worsening eating disorder symptoms, clinicians working with male clients should assess for problematic pornography use and body image concerns during therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ateret Gewirtz-Meydan
- School of Social Work, Faculty of Social Welfare and Health Sciences University of Haifa, Israel. agewirtz-@univ.haifa.ac.il
| | - Zohar Spivak-Lavi
- Faculty of Social Work, Max Stern Yezreel Valley College, Emek Yezreel, Israel.
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Zhou H, Wu AMS, Su X, Chang L, Chen JH, Zhang MX, Tong KK. Childhood environment and adulthood food addiction: Testing the multiple mediations of life history strategies and attitudes toward self. Appetite 2023; 182:106448. [PMID: 36608768 DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2023.106448] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2022] [Revised: 12/05/2022] [Accepted: 01/02/2023] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Food addiction is associated with both physical and mental health conditions, such as obesity and depression, and is considered a public health problem. Based on life history (LH) theory, this study aimed to test the association between unpredictable childhood environment and food addiction in adulthood and to examine LH strategies and attitudes toward self as psychological mediators of this association. A random sample of 1010 adults, aged from 18 to 88 years (44.8% male; Mage = 38.52, SDage = 14.53), voluntarily participated in an anonymous telephone survey conducted in Macao, China. The results of a path analysis showed the significant and positive direct effect of childhood unpredictability on food addiction and its negative association with slow LH strategy, which in turn was negatively correlated with food addiction. In addition, slow LH strategy and self-judgment, rather than self-kindness, acted as serial mediators in the association between childhood unpredictability and food addiction. These findings support the applicability of LH theory to understanding food addiction, as well as pointing to the potential risk effect of self-judgment for food addiction in adulthood. Self-judgment reduction may be a potential supplementary approach for future food addiction intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui Zhou
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Macau, Macao, China; Centre for Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Institute of Collaborative Innovation, University of Macau, Macao, China
| | - Anise M S Wu
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Macau, Macao, China; Centre for Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Institute of Collaborative Innovation, University of Macau, Macao, China
| | - Xiaoyu Su
- School of Nursing, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Lei Chang
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Macau, Macao, China
| | - Juliet Honglei Chen
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Macau, Macao, China; Centre for Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Institute of Collaborative Innovation, University of Macau, Macao, China
| | - Meng Xuan Zhang
- Department of Medical Humanities, School of Humanities, Southeast University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Kwok Kit Tong
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Macau, Macao, China.
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Blais RK, Xu B, Hoyt T, Lorenz T, Monteith LL. Sexual compulsivity, erectile dysfunction, and suicidality among male survivors of military sexual violence. J Trauma Stress 2022; 35:1709-1720. [PMID: 36059231 DOI: 10.1002/jts.22872] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2022] [Revised: 05/31/2022] [Accepted: 06/03/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Although military sexual trauma (MST) is associated with an increased risk of suicide, suicide attempts, and suicidal ideation among service members and veterans, there is limited knowledge regarding the mechanisms of MST and suicidality among men. The current study examined whether MST was associated with sexual compulsivity and/or erectile dysfunction and if these, in turn, explained elevated suicidal thoughts and the likelihood of engaging in future suicidal behavior after accounting for mental health, military, and demographic characteristics. Service members and veterans who reported their gender as male (N = 508) were recruited via social media and completed online self-report measures assessing MST, erectile dysfunction, sexual compulsivity, suicidal ideation frequency, and the likelihood of engaging in future suicidal behavior. Path analysis was used to examine the study hypotheses. In total, 67 participants (13.2%) reported a history of MST; of these individuals, 27 (40.3%) reported suicidal ideation in the past 12 months, and 29 (43.9%) reported an increased likelihood of engaging in future suicidal behavior. MST was associated with increased sexual compulsivity, which, in turn, predicted more frequent suicidal ideation as well as a higher self-reported likelihood of engaging in future suicidal behavior. MST was associated with higher levels of erectile dysfunction, but erectile dysfunction was not associated with suicidal ideation in the adjusted model. Although the data were cross-sectional, precluding determinations of causality, the results support assessing and intervening with regard to sexual compulsivity to mitigate the risk for suicide-related outcomes among men who experience MST.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca K Blais
- Psychology Department, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
| | - Bingyu Xu
- Psychology Department, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
| | - Tim Hoyt
- Psychological Health Center of Excellence, Defense Health Agency, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA
| | - Tierney Lorenz
- Department of Psychology, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska, USA
| | - Lindsey L Monteith
- VA Rocky Mountain Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical Center for Veteran Suicide Prevention, Denver, Colorado, USA.,Department of Psychiatry, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, USA
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Jiang X, Wu Y, Zhang K, Bőthe B, Hong Y, Chen L. Symptoms of problematic pornography use among help-seeking male adolescents: Latent profile and network analysis. J Behav Addict 2022; 11:912-927. [PMID: 36067020 PMCID: PMC9872529 DOI: 10.1556/2006.2022.00065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2022] [Revised: 08/13/2022] [Accepted: 08/14/2022] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Little data exist on exploring the subgroups and characteristics of problematic pornography use (PPU) in help-seeking adolescents. The aims of the study were to classify the subgroups among help-seeking male adolescents, explore their similarities and differences, and uncover their core symptoms. METHODS A total of 3,468 Chinese male adolescents (Mage = 16.64 years, SD = 1.24) who were distressed about their pornography use were recruited. The Problematic Pornography Consumption Scale, the Brief Pornography Screen Scale, and Moral Disapproval of Pornography Use were used to classify them. The General Health Questionnaire, the Pornography Craving Questionnaire, and the Sexual Compulsivity Scale were used to investigate participants' negative consequence related to their pornography use; and the Online Sexual Activity Questionnaire (OSAs) and time spent on pornography use every week were considered as quantitative indicators. RESULTS Help-seeking male adolescents could be divided into 3 profiles, namely, self-perceived problematic (SP, n = 755), impaired control (IC, n = 1,656), and problematic use groups (PPU, n = 1,057). Frequency of OSAs was important for the identification of SP individuals, while negative consequences were more effective in identifying individuals with objective dysregulated behavior. Salience and mood modification were shared by all groups; however, in addition to this, the SP and PPU groups also showed withdrawal symptoms. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION This study's results provide support for the presence of different profiles of help-seeking individuals and information on potential intervention targets among adolescents which is lacking in the literature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoliu Jiang
- Department of Psychology, School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Fuzhou University, Fujian, China
| | - Yudi Wu
- Department of Psychology, School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Fuzhou University, Fujian, China
| | - Kuo Zhang
- Department of Social Psychology, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
| | - Beáta Bőthe
- Département de Psychologie, Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières, Trois-Rivières, Canada,Département de Psychologie, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Canada,Corresponding author. E-mail:
| | - Youjuan Hong
- School of Nursing, Fujian Medical University, Fujian, China
| | - Lijun Chen
- Department of Psychology, School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Fuzhou University, Fujian, China,Corresponding author. Tel.: +86-59122866562. E-mail:
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Poli A, Gemignani A, Chiorri C, Miccoli M. A critical period for experience-dependent development of the feelings of safety during early infancy: A polyvagal perspective on anger and psychometric tools to assess perceived safety. Front Integr Neurosci 2022; 16:915170. [PMID: 35924118 PMCID: PMC9339984 DOI: 10.3389/fnint.2022.915170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2022] [Accepted: 06/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Poli
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
- *Correspondence: Andrea Poli
| | - Angelo Gemignani
- Department of Surgical, Medical and Molecular Pathology and of Critical Care Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Carlo Chiorri
- Department of Educational Sciences, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
| | - Mario Miccoli
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
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Stark R, Markert C, Kruse O, Walter B, Strahler J, Klein S. Individual cortisol response to acute stress influences neural processing of sexual cues. J Behav Addict 2022; 11:506-519. [PMID: 35895611 PMCID: PMC9295234 DOI: 10.1556/2006.2022.00037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2022] [Revised: 03/28/2022] [Accepted: 04/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Problematic pornography use can be conceptualized as an impulse control disorder or alternatively as a behavioral addiction. Stress is an important trigger in addiction, but less is known about the neural effect of stress in problematic pornography use. Therefore, we aimed at investigating the effect of stress during the anticipation and viewing of sexually explicit material while considering person characteristics related to potentially being at risk for developing problematic pornography use. METHODS In an fMRI study (n = 157 men, age: mean = 25.46, SD = 4.11) we used a sexual incentive delay task. A social stress test was used to induce stress in half of the participants. Salivary cortisol was repeatedly measured and person characteristics were considered moderating the effects of cortisol response. RESULTS We found no group differences in the neural responses during the anticipation phase, but a higher reactivity to sexual stimuli in the dACC in the stress group. Acute stress activated a pronounced cortisol response, which positively correlated with neural activations in the reward system (NAcc, dACC) to sexual cues. Further, the individual time spent on pornography use moderated the effect of cortisol in some regions of the reward system (dACC, mOFC). DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest that acute stress related increases in cortisol can enhance the incentive value of cues announcing sexual stimuli. This might explain why acute stress is considered a trigger of pornography use and relapse and why individual stress response might be a risk factor for developing a problematic pornography use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rudolf Stark
- Department of Psychotherapy and Systems Neuroscience, Justus Liebig University of Giessen, Germany,Bender Institute of Neuroimaging, Justus Liebig University of Giessen, Germany,Center of Mind, Brain and Behavior, Universities of Marburg and Giessen, Germany,Corresponding author. E-mail:
| | - Charlotte Markert
- Department of Psychotherapy and Systems Neuroscience, Justus Liebig University of Giessen, Germany,Bender Institute of Neuroimaging, Justus Liebig University of Giessen, Germany,Center of Mind, Brain and Behavior, Universities of Marburg and Giessen, Germany
| | - Onno Kruse
- Department of Psychotherapy and Systems Neuroscience, Justus Liebig University of Giessen, Germany,Bender Institute of Neuroimaging, Justus Liebig University of Giessen, Germany
| | - Bertram Walter
- Department of Psychotherapy and Systems Neuroscience, Justus Liebig University of Giessen, Germany,Center of Mind, Brain and Behavior, Universities of Marburg and Giessen, Germany
| | - Jana Strahler
- Sportpsychology, Institute of Sport and Sport Sciences, University of Freiburg, Germany
| | - Sanja Klein
- Department of Psychotherapy and Systems Neuroscience, Justus Liebig University of Giessen, Germany,Bender Institute of Neuroimaging, Justus Liebig University of Giessen, Germany,Center of Mind, Brain and Behavior, Universities of Marburg and Giessen, Germany
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