THE ROLE OF SEXUAL SELF-SCHEMA AND PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS IN THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SEXUAL VICTIMIZATION AND SEXUAL FUNCTIONING AND SATISFACTION

Sexual assault (SA) has been associated with various negative psychological consequences for survivors. Recent studies have shown an association between the history of sexual assault and sexual dysfunction among female survivors of sexual victimization. Specifically, sexual assault survivors experience difficulties with aspects of sexual functioning, sexual satisfaction, and sexual self-schemas (Rellini & Meston, 2011). The purpose of the present study was to examine the relationship between sexual victimization severity and sexual functioning and sexual satisfaction. In addition, we tested a sequential mediational model in which sexual self-schema followed by depressive and PTSD symptoms would mediate the relationship between sexual victimization severity and sexual satisfaction and sexual functioning. Seventy-three female college students with a history of sexual victimization were asked to complete a series of self-report questionnaires designed to assess the history of sexual victimization, sexual functioning, sexual satisfaction, sexual self-schemas and psychological distress levels (i.e., depression and posttraumatic stress disorder symptom severity). Results revealed no significant associations between severity of sexual victimization and sexual satisfaction and sexual functioning. Additionally, our sequential mediational models, in which sexual self-schema followed by depressive and PTSD symptoms would mediate the relationship between sexual victimization severity and sexual satisfaction and functioning were non-significant. Our findings may have been limited due to the lack of variability in sexual victimization severity. Future studies further investigating the role of sexual self-schema, depression, and PTSD on sexual functioning and sexual satisfaction among sexual assault survivors are warranted