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Depressed women have more sex than those who are happier, a recent study of the sexual experiences of more than 100 depressed and non-depressed women, who were in relationships, has found.
Women suffering from mild to moderate depression were found to have a third more sex, regardless of whether they were in a relationship or not, according to the survey.
They also had more sexually liberated attitudes, a bigger variety of sexual experiences, and if single, were more likely to partake in casual sex.
Lead researcher Dr Sabura Allen, a clinical psychologist at Monash University, said:
It was more sex and more of everything from kissing to petting, foreplay and intercourse.
We knew this anecdotally from clinical samples but this is the first time it’s been shown in research.
She added that depressed women were likely seeking out sexual intimacy more often, to help themselves feel more secure.
When people are depressed they feel more insecure about their relationships and concerned that their partner may not care about them or find them valuable.
Having sex helps them feel that closeness and security.
Dr Allen noted that Australian couples
… tend to have sex between once and three times a week [with] very much the majority in the once a week group.
Single women have it significantly less, but the same is not necessarily true in the case of single men.
After delivering her findings to the conference, The Sydney Morning Herald asked Dr Allen whether intercourse could be an effective aid for lessening or beating depression, and the psychologist was quoted as saying:
We really don’t know but we presume it helps as it gives these women opportunities to be close to their partner and loved.
The findings, which were presented at the International Congress on Women’s Mental Health in Melbourne, where the latest research in mental illness and hormone-related conditions are being showcased, are shortly to be published in full, in the British Medical Journal.
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Posted by Jonathan in Psychology, Sociology