Impact of daily anxiety and depressive symptoms on sexual desire and arousal: individual differences across women with vulvovaginal pain.

Introduction: Chronic vulvovaginal pain, specifically vulvodynia, is a prevalent syndrome among women, often significantly impacting quality of life, mental health, and sexual functioning of affected women. Despite its common occurrence, vulvovaginal pain remains largely under-researched. Existing studies have highlighted the influence of chronic vulvar pain on symptoms of anxiety and depression, reduced sexual desire, and impaired sexual arousal. However, these findings predominantly stem from longitudinal self-report studies and often fail to account for individual differences. Objective: This study aims to shed light on vulvovaginal pain and expand upon previous findings on healthy women regarding the impact of daily anxiety and depressive symptoms on sexual desire and arousal. Method: A daily study was conducted with a final sample of 63 participants who completed an online survey each day for approximately two months. Mixed model analysis was used to estimate fixed effects for the entire sample and capture inter-individual variability with random effects. Results: Findings of this study largely replicated those obtained with healthy women. A significant negative association between mood symptoms and sexual desire was confirmed, with substantial variability among women. Additionally, mood symptoms did not exhibit a significant fixed effect on the desire to masturbate or on arousal, although random effects were significant for both. Conclusions: Most findings align with previous research on healthy women, particularly regarding high individual differences. The use of daily measures highlighted significant variability in individual responses, underscoring the importance of considering these complex differences in scientific research and clinical practice concerning vulvovaginal pain. In conclusion, this thesis aspires to contribute to greater awareness and understanding, ultimately leading to improved care and support for women affected by vulvovaginal pain.