08 Jul Happiness, stress and…sex!
How are mood, stress and our sex lives related?
It is well known that low mood, stress levels and (waning) sex lives are closely related. Despite the fact that so many of us experience this troublesome triad, sexual difficulties remain largely under researched, especially in terms of why they often go hand-in-hand with mental disorders such as depression and anxiety.
A new study at Macquarie University hopes to get between the sheets with thousands of Australians to find out exactly what the relationships are between low mood, stress, and sexual problems.
We will look at the levels of these everyday difficulties in the general population, and we can then apply what we learn from this research to new treatment programs for depression, anxiety, and sexual dysfunctions. The key questions we’re interested in are: How are these disorders related over time? Does one type of disorder cause another, or are they related at a deeper level?
Understanding the direction of the relationships will mean that GPs and Psychologists will be able to more accurately screen for these disorders, and hopefully catch them before they become a severe problem, which will help minimise the negative impact on sufferers’ quality of life.
If you decide to participate in this online study, you will be asked to answer some questions about negative emotions and some aspects of sexual function at six separate time points – either once a week for six weeks, or once a month for six months. This repeated measurement is necessary to fully understand the direction of the relationships.
Come get involved, and help us understand this under-researched problem. Go to http://www.moodstressandsex.com for more information.