Barndomstraumer, Emotionsregulering & Compulsive Sexual Behavior

Abstract

Formål: Der er fundet sammenhænge mellem barndomstraumer, udfordringer med emotionsregulering og Compulsive Sexual Behavior. Dette studie undersøgte sammen- hængen mellem barndomstraumer, herunder en kumulativ score for barndomstraumer samt seksuelle barndomstraumer, og Compulsive sexual behavior. Det blev desuden te- stet, om udfordringer med emotionsregulering medierede sammenhængen mellem barn- domstraumer og Compulsive Sexual Behavior. Metode: Et tværsnitsstudie blev udført med et sample bestående af 314 deltagere rekrut- teret fra private online-datingsider på Facebook. Data blev indsamlet ved hjælp af et spørgeskema bestående af demografiske spørgsmål samt validerede skalaer for de under- søgte variable. Deltagere fuldførte Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale, Child Trauma Questionnaire - Short Form og Hypersexual Behavior Inventory. Der blev ud- ført parametriske korrelationsanalyser, multiple lineære regressionsanalyser samt en re- gressionsbaseret mediationsanalyse. Resultater: Studiets resultater viste signifikante sammenhænge mellem både barndoms- traumer kumulativt og Compulsive Sexual Behavior, samt mellem seksuelle barndoms- traumer og Compulsive Sexual Behavior. Mediationsanalysen viste, at udfordringer med emotionsregulering delvist medierede sammenhængen mellem barndomstraumer og Compulsive Sexual Behavior, med statistisk signifikans for både den direkte og den in- direkte effekt. Konklusioner: Udfordringer med emotionsregulering viste sig at være delvist medie- rende af sammenhængen mellem barndomstraumer og Compulsive Sexual Behavior. Dette tyder på, at udfordringer med emotionsregulering kan være et oplagt mål for inter- vention i behandlingen af patienter med Compulsive Sexual Behavior. Studiet blev ud- ført som et tværsnitsdesign, og konklusionerne herfra vil kunne styrkes ved udførelse af longitudinelle studiedesigns, hvorfor der opfordres til yderligere undersøgelse heraf. Et longitudinelt studie vil kunne bidrage til dyberegående forståelse af kausale forhold.

The aim of this master’s thesis is to investigate associations between childhood trauma, difficulties in emotion regulation and levels of Compulsive Sexual Behavior in individuals by applying a quantitative cross-sectional approach. The thesis is divided into two main sections: (1) a research article which primarily focuses on the study conducted, as well as the empirical foundations and results for the tested hypotheses and (2) a supplementary section consisting of elaborate descriptions of implications of the methodology and procedure not described in the article. This section emphasises theoretical perspectives and implications for the associations investigated. Primary hypotheses of the study were as follows: (1) a positive significant association between childhood traumas and Compulsive Sexual Behavior exists, (2) childhood trauma operationalized as cumulative scores on different subscales of the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire - Short Form is stronger associated with Compulsive Sexual Behavior than scores on the Childhood Sexual Abuse subscale alone. (3) the association between childhood trauma and compulsive sexual behavior is mediated by difficulties in emotion regulation. The study applied a cross-sectional design using validated self-report scales to measure all variables. Hypotheses were tested using parametric correlation analysis, two models of multiple linear regression analysis as well as a regression-based mediation analysis. Analyses were conducted using data obtained from a sample of 314 individuals recruited from online dating communities on Facebook. The Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Questionnaire was used as measurement of emotion regulation, and the Hypersexual Behavior Inventory was used as measurement of compulsive sexual behavior. The main findings were as follows: Analyses confirm a significant association between childhood trauma and Compulsive Sexual Behavior. Scores on the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire a slightly stronger effect size than the Childhood Sexual Abuse subscale alone, partially confirming our second hypothesis. The mediation analysis supported the hypothesis that difficulties in emotion regulation partially mediates the association between childhood traumas and Compulsive Sexual Behavior, by producing a significant mediation effect through emotion regulation, as well as a significant direct effect between childhood traumas and Compulsive Sexual Behavior. The study aimed to investigate the potentially mediating role of emotion regulation in regards the relationship between childhood traumas and Compulsive Sexual Behavior, a natural limitation is found within the cross-sectional design. Hereby limiting causal inference between the variables, due to the lack of temporal ordering. Mediation is thus inferred due the study results being interpreted in the light of empirical and theoretical literature.

A master thesis from Aalborg University

Barndomstraumer, Emotionsregulering & Compulsive Sexual Behavior - Et tværsnitsstudie

[Childhood Trauma, Emotion Regulation & Compulsive Sexual Behavior - A Cross-Sectional Study]