Background Binge drinking peaks in emerging adulthood and is associated with a myriad of negative consequences. Research indicates that social network members have a significant influence on binge drinking. In particular, theory suggests that drinking habits of romantic partners and peers have a stronger influence on emerging-adult binge drinking than do drinking habits of siblings and parents. We investigated the relative influences of siblings, parents, romantic partners, and peers on emerging adults’ binge drinking using a multisource design and a robust measure of binge drinking. We hypothesized peer and romantic partner binge drinking would more strongly predict emerging-adult (egos) binge drinking than would parent and sibling binge drinking. Methods We recruited 321 participants (egos) aged 17–25 years, alongside 882 members of their social network (alters). Egos and alters completed self-report measures of binge drinking (frequency, quantity, and self-perception). Results Structural equation modeling revealed that the direct positive effect from romantic partner binge drinking to ego binge drinking was significant. In contrast, the direct effects from peer, parent, and sibling binge drinking to ego binge drinking were nonsignificant. Conclusion In emerging adulthood, romantic partners appear to have the strongest association with ego binge drinking.

People high on socially prescribed perfectionism perceive intense external pressures to be perfect, and these pressures place them at risk for depressive symptoms. Likewise, the external pressures experienced by people high on socially prescribed perfectionism appear, in part, to be a legitimate response to members of their social network (influencers) who demand perfection from others (other-oriented perfectionists). Nonetheless, it is unclear whose other-oriented perfectionism (e.g., parents or peers) is more relevant to the socially prescribed perfectionism-depressive symptoms relationship. To address this, we studied 307 undergraduate targets and 692 influencers (mothers, fathers, siblings, peers, and romantic partners). Targets completed measures of socially prescribed perfectionism and depressive symptoms. Influencers completed measures of other-oriented perfectionism and narcissism. Path analysis revealed other-oriented perfectionism in mothers and siblings, but not other-oriented perfectionism in fathers, peers, or romantic partners, indirectly predicted targets' depressive symptoms through targets' socially prescribed perfectionism. Conversely, indirect effects corresponding to influencers' narcissism were not significant. Investigators are encouraged to continue using multisource designs to test how other-oriented perfectionism in parental and non-parental influencers depresses the recipients of their perfectionistic demands.

Contingent self-worth (CSW; the pursuit of self-esteem via a particular domain in one’s life) impacts well-being based on one’s perceived success or failure in the contingent domain. In a community sample, individuals with sexual problems reported greater sexual CSW—self-worth dependent on maintaining a sexual relationship—than those without problems. Couples coping with provoked vestibulodynia (PVD), a genito-pelvic pain condition, perceive failures in their sexual relationship, which could be associated with more pain and poorer well-being. In contrast, relationship CSW—self-worth dependent on the overall romantic relationship—may act as a buffer against adverse outcomes. Eighty-two women with PVD and their partners completed online standardized measures of sexual and relationship CSW, sexual distress and satisfaction, relationship satisfaction, and depressive symptoms, and women reported their pain intensity. Analyses were based on the actor–partner interdependence model. Women with PVD who reported greater sexual CSW experienced more sexual distress and pain. Additionally, when partners reported greater sexual CSW, they were less sexually and relationally satisfied and more sexually distressed, and women had greater depressive symptoms and lower relationship satisfaction. In contrast, when partners reported higher relationship CSW, they were more sexually and relationally satisfied and less sexually distressed, and women reported lower depressive symptoms and greater relationship satisfaction. Results suggest that couples’ (particularly partners’) greater sexual CSW is linked to poorer sexual, relational, and psychological well-being in couples affected by PVD, whereas partners’ greater relationship CSW is associated with better well-being. Thus, sexual and relationship CSW may be important treatment targets for interventions aimed at improving how couples adjust to PVD.

Abstract: Despite wide variation in prevalence rates for all sexual dysfunctions depending on the population and methodology in question, the numbers are staggering. With general prevalence figures for sexual problems reported to be as high as 40% in women and 28% in men, sexual difficulties seem close to normative. Once relegated strictly to sex therapists and sexologists, the assessment of sexual function is increasingly considered an integral part of an overall health assessment. This chapter focuses on the assessment of female and male sexual dysfunctions in adults. It begins with a review of the nature of the conditions, which is followed by a review of clinical assessment instruments designed for the assessment purposes of (a) diagnosis, (b) case conceptualization and treatment planning, and (c) treatment monitoring and evaluation. Recommendations are included for instruments with the greatest scientific support and for assessing these conditions in a clinically sensitive manner.

Provoked vestibulodynia (PVD), a common cause of women's genitopelvic pain, is associated with poorer psychological and sexual well-being in affected couples. Greater sexual contingent self-worth (CSW)-defined as self-esteem that is dependent on the perceived success or failure of a sexual relationship-has been linked to poorer well-being in a cross-sectional study of couples coping with PVD. This study aimed to examine whether daily sexual distress mediated the associations between greater sexual CSW and lower sexual satisfaction and greater anxiety, depressed mood, and women's pain in affected couples. Women (N = 125) diagnosed with PVD and their partners completed the Sexual CSW Scale and then online daily surveys for eight weeks measuring sexual distress, sexual satisfaction, anxiety, depressed mood, and women's pain during intercourse. Multilevel analyses were based on the actor-partner interdependence model (APIM). For women who had higher sexual CSW (compared to lower sexual CSW), on sexual activity days when their sexual distress was higher, they reported lower sexual satisfaction and greater anxiety, depressed mood, and pain (compared to their average level across all sexual activity days). Findings suggest that daily sexual distress may be one pathway between greater sexual CSW and poorer day-to-day well-being in women with PVD.

Socially prescribed perfectionists play an active role in creating stress through a process known as stress generation. Extensive evidence also suggests that stress among socially prescribed perfectionists stems from perceived external pressures to be perfect. However, the degree to which these sensed outside pressures reflect real or imagined demands is unclear. In particular, does having other-oriented perfectionists in one's social network lead to greater socially prescribed perfectionism and stress? To address this, we recruited 312 undergraduates (targets) and 1,014 members of their social networks (influencers). Targets completed measures of self-oriented perfectionism, socially prescribed perfectionism, stress, and neuroticism. Influencers completed a measure of other-oriented perfectionism. As expected, the relationship between other-oriented perfectionism in influencers and self-oriented perfectionism in targets was not significant. However, as anticipated, path analysis revealed that influencers' other-oriented perfectionism contributed to targets' socially prescribed perfectionism, which in turn contributed to targets' stress, even after controlling for targets' neuroticism. Findings underscore the importance of considering the veridical aspects of socially prescribed perfectionism, as well as continuing to investigate the potentially deleterious consequences of having other-oriented perfectionists in one's social network.

Undergraduates with high social anxiety have increased alcohol problems, despite lower or equivalent alcohol use levels. Drinking motives mediate the cross-sectional relationship between social anxiety and alcohol problems, with coping and conformity motives being the most commonly observed mediators. Our study extended prior research by using a longitudinal design, examining coping with anxiety motives (CAM) and coping with depression motives (CDM) separately using path analysis, simultaneously considering a variety of drinking motives in the model, and focusing on a particularly severe form of social anxiety - namely, social avoidance. We collected data from 219 undergraduates (72.6% women, mean age of 20.59years) over three waves spaced six months apart. Results indicated CDM mediated the prospective relationship between social avoidance and alcohol problems. Findings suggest socially avoidant students' escalations in CDM explain their increased alcohol problems over time. Future research should examine involvement of depression and social isolation in contributing to this pathway to alcohol problems.

Sexual contingent self-worth (CSW) refers to self-worth that is dependent on maintaining a sexual relationship, and has not been studied previously. This novel construct may have implications for sexual, relationship, and psychological well-being, because it could affect the cognitions, affect, and behaviors of individuals in sexual relationships. The purpose of this study was to develop the Sexual Contingent Self-Worth Scale and examine its reliability and validity in community samples. Two separate online studies (N = 329 and N = 282) included men and women who were in committed, sexually active relationships. The Sexual CSW Scale was adapted from a validated measure of relationship CSW. In Study 1, participants completed the Sexual CSW Scale, whereas in Study 2, participants also responded to standardized measures of related constructs. In addition, participants completed the Sexual CSW Scale again two weeks later in Study 2. Factor analysis yielded two subscales: (a) sexual CSW dependent on positive sexual events in the relationship and (b) sexual CSW dependent on negative sexual events. Results indicated good construct validity, incremental validity, internal consistency, and test-retest reliability for the Sexual CSW Scale. This research contributes to the fields of both CSW and sexuality by introducing a novel domain of CSW.

INTRODUCTION There is limited knowledge regarding the symptom profile of genito-pelvic pain in pregnancy and postpartum, and potential psychosocial predictors of this pain. Prior studies have reported a positive association between prepregnancy pain and postpartum genito-pelvic pain. Greater fear avoidance has been associated with increased genital pain intensity in women, unrelated to childbirth. This relationship has not been examined prospectively in a postpartum population. AIMS The study aims were to examine the symptom profile of genito-pelvic pain during pregnancy and at 3 months postpartum, and the impact of prepregnancy nongenito-pelvic pain and fear avoidance in pregnancy on genito-pelvic pain at 3 months postpartum. METHODS First-time expectant mothers (N = 150) completed measures of fear avoidance (pain-related anxiety, catastrophizing, hypervigilance to pain), prepregnancy nongenito-pelvic pain, childbirth-related risk factors (e.g., episiotomy), and breastfeeding. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Those reporting genito-pelvic pain in pregnancy and/or at 3 months postpartum answered questions about the onset (prepregnancy, during pregnancy, postpartum) and location (genital, pelvic, or both) of the pain and rated the intensity and unpleasantness of the pain on numerical rating scales. RESULTS Of 150 women, 49% reported genito-pelvic pain in pregnancy. The pain resolved for 59% of women, persisted for 41%, and 7% of women reported a new onset of genito-pelvic pain after childbirth. Prepregnancy nongenito-pelvic pain was associated with an increased likelihood of postpartum onset of genito-pelvic pain. Greater pain-related anxiety was associated with greater average genito-pelvic pain intensity at 3 months postpartum. CONCLUSIONS Results suggest that about half of women may develop genito-pelvic pain during pregnancy, which will persist for about a third, and a subset will develop this pain after childbirth. Prior recurrent nongenito-pelvic pain may enhance the risk of developing genito-pelvic pain postpartum, while greater pain-related anxiety in pregnancy may increase the risk for greater intensity of postpartum genito-pelvic pain.

OBJECTIVEThere is a paucity of research investigating the role of interpersonal variables in vulvodynia--a prevalent, chronic, vulvo-vaginal pain condition that negatively affects many aspects of women's sexual health, emotional well-being and intimate relationships. Cross-sectional studies have shown that male partner responses to painful intercourse are associated with pain and sexual satisfaction in women with vulvodynia. Partner responses can be solicitous (attention and sympathy), negative (hostility and frustration), and facilitative (encouragement of adaptive coping). No research has assessed the influence of daily partner responses in this population. Further, there is limited knowledge regarding the impact of partner responses on sexual function, which is a key measure of impairment in vulvodynia.METHODSUsing daily diaries, 66 women (M age = 27.91, SD = 5.94) diagnosed with vulvodynia and their cohabiting male partners (M age = 30.00, SD = 8.33) reported on male partner responses and sexual function on days when sexual intercourse occurred (M = 6.54, SD = 4.99). Drawing on the Actor-Partner Interdependence model (APIM), a multivariate multilevel modeling approach was adopted.RESULTSA woman's sexual functioning improved on days when she perceived greater facilitative and lower solicitous and negative male partner responses, and when her male partner reported lower solicitous responses. A man's sexual functioning was poorer on days when he reported greater solicitous and negative responses.CONCLUSIONSFindings suggest that facilitative male partner responses may improve sexual functioning whereas solicitous and negative responses may be detrimental. Partner responses should be targeted in psychological interventions aimed to improve the sexual functioning of affected couples.

Rosen, Natalie O.; Bergeron, Sophie; Sadikaj, Gentiana; Glowacka, Maria; Baxter, Mary-Lou; Delisle, Isabelle Author Information

INTRODUCTION:Provoked vestibulodynia (PVD) is a highly prevalent vulvovaginal pain condition that negatively affects women's emotional, sexual, and relationship well-being. Recent studies have investigated the role of interpersonal variables, including partner responses.AIM:We examined whether solicitous and facilitative partner responses were differentially associated with vulvovaginal pain and sexual satisfaction in women with PVD by examining each predictor while controlling for the other.METHODS:One hundred twenty-one women (M age = 30.60, SD = 10.53) with PVD or self-reported symptoms of PVD completed the solicitous subscale of the spouse response scale of the Multidimensional Pain Inventory, and the facilitative subscale of the Spouse Response Inventory. Participants also completed measures of pain, sexual function, sexual satisfaction, trait anxiety, and avoidance of pain and sexual behaviors (referred to as "avoidance").MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES:Dependent measures were the (i) Pain Rating Index of the McGill Pain Questionnaire with reference to pain during vaginal intercourse and (ii) Global Measure of Sexual Satisfaction Scale.RESULTS:Controlling for trait anxiety and avoidance, higher solicitous partner responses were associated with higher vulvovaginal pain intensity (β = 0.20, P = 0.03), and higher facilitative partner responses were associated with lower pain intensity (β = -0.20, P = 0.04). Controlling for sexual function, trait anxiety, and avoidance, higher facilitative partner responses were associated with higher sexual satisfaction (β = 0.15, P = 0.05).CONCLUSIONS:Findings suggest that facilitative partner responses may aid in alleviating vulvovaginal pain and improving sexual satisfaction, whereas solicitous partner responses may contribute to greater pain.