The Role of Emotion Regulation Strategies for Sexual Function and Mental Health: A Cluster Analytical Approach

2023/10/12 by Vinicius Jobim Fischer, Vinícius Jobim Fischer, Gerhard Andersson +3 · 7 citations
Health Professions · Medicine · Psychology · #Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health #Anxiety #Clinical psychology #Cluster (spacecraft) #Cognition #Cognitive reappraisal #Depression (economics) #Developmental psychology #Eating Disorders and Behaviors #Emotional regulation #Expressive Suppression #Function (biology) #Mental health #Psychiatry #Psychological intervention #Psychology #Psychotherapist #Sexual function #Sexual function and dysfunction studies

paper · pdf · doi:10.1080/0092623x.2023.2264863

published in Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy 50(2), 123-136 (Routledge)

openalex publication_date 2023/10/12 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/25

Abstract

We investigated distinct profiles in emotion regulation strategies (reappraisal and suppression) and their associations with sexual function and mental health. The online survey sample consisted of 5436 adult participants. The gender stratified cluster analysis resulted in a four-cluster solution for both men and women. Better sexual function and mental health scores were found for participants with high cognitive reappraisal and low expressive suppression. High expressive suppression was associated with higher anxiety and depression and worse sexual function. Sexological care should take into account the assessment of emotion regulation abilities and emotion regulation training interventions to support reappraisal strategies.

Citations

• Healthy and Unhealthy Emotion Regulation: Personality Processes, Individual Differences, and Life Span Development
• A Brief Measure for Assessing Generalized Anxiety Disorder
• The Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI): A Multidimensional Self-Report Instrument for the Assessment of Female Sexual Function
• The Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI): Cross-Validation and Development of Clinical Cutoff Scores
• Emotion regulation: Affective, cognitive, and social consequences
• Individual differences in two emotion regulation processes: Implications for affect, relationships, and well-being.
• Translation, Adaptation, and Preliminary Validation of the Female Sexual Function Index into Spanish (Colombia)

Related

• Subjective well-being: a pilot study on the importance of emotion regulation, gender identity and sexuality
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• Healthy and Unhealthy Emotion Regulation: Personality Processes, Individual Differences, and Life Span Development
• Perfectionism, Worry, and Cognitive Distraction’s Role in Sexual Distress and Pleasure: Insights from a Transdiagnostic Framework Using Cross-Sectional Data