Comparison of Attachment Styles, Childhood Traumas and Psychological Flexibility in Individuals with and without Sexual Dysfunction

Year 2025, Volume: 15 Issue: 77, 213 - 226, 30.06.2025

Gizem Gülden , Meryem Karaaziz

https://doi.org/10.17066/tpdrd.1370026

Abstract

This study compares psychological flexibility, childhood traumas, and attachment styles between those with and without sexual dysfunction. In this study, causal comparison model was used. The population of this study consists of individuals with and without sexual dysfunction. The sample of the study consisted of 50 individuals with sexual dysfunction by purposive sampling method and 50 individuals without sexual dysfunction by random sampling method, totaling 100 individuals. Sociodemographic Information Form, Golombok-Rust Sexual Satisfaction Scale, Childhood Psychological Trauma Scale, Psychological Flexibility Scale and Inventory of Experiences in Close Relationships-II were used as data collection tools. In the findings of the study, sexual satisfaction and psychological flexibility of individuals without sexual dysfunction were found to be significantly higher than individuals with sexual dysfunction. At the same time, it has been determined that individuals with sexual dysfunction have experienced more childhood traumas and have a higher rate of developing anxious and avoidant attachment styles than individuals without sexual dysfunction. In this context, it is recommended to focus on psychological aid programs in order to increase the level of psychological flexibility in individuals with sexual dysfunction and to raise awareness of childhood traumas and attachment styles.

Keywords

sexual dysfunction , attachment styles , childhood trauma , psychological flexibility

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