The casual model of relationship between alexithymia and sexual function by mediating rule of psychological distress and marital intimacy

Document Type : علمی - پژوهشی

Authors

1 PhD student, Department of psychology, karaj branch, Islamic Azad University, Krarj, Iran.

2 Professor of clinical psychology, Allameh Tabataba'i University.

3 Assistant Professor, Department of psychology, karaj branch, Islamic Azad University, Karaj, Iran.

4 Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology, Birjand Branch, Islamic Azad Uniuersity, Birjand, Iran.

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to exam the causal model of relationship between alexithymia and sexual function by mediating rule of psychological distress and marital intimacy among married women. The method of present study was a descriptive (non-experimental) and correlation research design as structural equation modeling. The statistical population of the study were includes all married women referring to the health centers of the city of Bardsir. Based on available sampling method, 506 people were selected as sample, and answered the Toronto alexithymia Scale, the gender index of sexual function, intimacy need and of psychological distress indicator questionnaires. The findings of structural model showed that alexithymia had a positive effect on psychological distress (0.75), and negative effect on marital intimacy (0.22), as well as psychological distress had a negative effect on sexual function (-0.25), but marital intimacy had a positive effect (0.34) on sexual function. Also, the indirect effect of alexithymia on sexual functioning was negative (-0.22) due to psychological distress and marital intimacy’s mediatory rule. The results of the present study were showed that the examined model was fitted to proposed conceptual model. And also the mediate rule of psychological distress and marital intimacy among alexithymia and sexual function were proved.

Keywords


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