This study examined the influence of role quality, relationship satisfaction, fatigue, and depression on women s sexuality during pregnancy and after childbirth. Questionnaire data were obtained from 138 women pregnant with their first child, of whom 104 responded at 12 weeks postpartum, and 70 responded at 6 months postpartum. Women reported significant reductions in sexuality during pregnancy and postpartum. Relationship satisfaction explained levels of sexual satisfaction during pregnancy, and was a predictor of sexual desire in the postpartum. Depression was an important predictor of reduced sexual desire and sexual satisfaction during pregnancy, and of reduced frequency of intercourse at 12 weeks postpartum. At 6 months postpartum, the quality of the mother role strongly related to measures of sexuality. Throughout the perinatal period, fatigue impacted on measures of sexuality, either directly or/and indirectly. The implications of these results in terms of the impact of pregnancy and childbirth on relationships and sexuality are discussed.

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There are very few research studies that have evaluated the relationships between multiple forms of childhood maltreatment and psychological adjustment in adulthood. This study evaluates the interrelationships between five different types of child maltreatment (sexual abuse, physical abuse, psychological maltreatment, neglect, witnessing family violence) in a community sample of women and men (N = 175). The relationships between the reported experience of these forms of maltreatment in childhood, family characteristics during childhood, and current psychological adjustment (trauma symptomatology and self-depreciation) were assessed. As hypothesized, family characteristics predicted maltreatment scores and adjustment, and maltreatment scores predicted adjustment after controlling for family environment. There were high correlations between scores on the five maltreatment scales. Results highlight the need to assess all forms of maltreatment when looking at relationships of maltreatment to adjustment and the importance of childhood familial environment for the long-term adjustment of adults.

This article describes the development and validation of a new 35-item, multidimensional Comprehensive Quality of Life Scale (ComQol). Psychometric properties of the scale are described. Consistency between the data yielded by the scale and findings reported in the literature are argued to support the validity of the instrument. It is concluded that ComQol constitutes a unique and comprehensive measure of the quality of life construct.

This study evaluated the associations between intimacy, quality of life, and sexual dysfunction in men and women. Participants were 145 sexually functional (43 men, 102 women) adults drawn from the general population and 198 sexually dysfunctional (114 men, 84 women) adults who came to a university sexual behavior clinic. All respondents were currently involved in a heterosexual relationship. Respondents completed a series of questionnaires to evaluate the level of intimacy in their relationships, their quality of life, and their level of sexual dysfunction. All aspects of intimacy were lower among sexually dysfunctional men than among sexually functional men for all subgroups of dysfunctionality (premature ejaculation, erectile failure, and lack of sexual desire). Levels of intimacy were less likely to discriminate between functional and dysfunctional women, with functional women only obtaining higher intimacy scores than each of the dysfunctional groups of women (inorgasmia, lack of arousal, lack of sexual desire) for social intimacy and recreational intimacy and, to a lesser extent, for sexual intimacy. Objective levels of quality of life as well as the satisfaction and importance of the quality of life domains were more likely to be lower when sexually dysfunctional women were compared with their functional counterparts than when sexually dysfunctional men were compared with their functional counterparts. The implications of these findings for an understanding of factors that contribute to sexual dysfunction, and the treatment of these disorders, is discussed.