| dc.description.abstract | Over the past few decades, research into ‘sex addiction’ has substantially increased. Studies have also demonstrated associations between sex addiction and co-morbid psychiatric disorders. In the present study, 23,533 Norwegian adults (mean age 35.8 years, ranging from the age of 16 to 88) participated in a national online cross-sectional survey examining whether demographic variables and symptoms of psychiatric disorders (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder [ADHD], obsessive-compulsive disorder [OCD], anxiety, and depression) could explain deviation in sex addiction. Respondents were administered the Bergen–Yale Sex Addiction Scale, the Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale, the Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory-Revised, and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, along with additional questions examining demographic variables. The results of the study indicated a positive and significant association between sex addiction and symptoms of psychiatric disorders. Furthermore, participants’ age (younger) and educational level (higher) were related to sex addiction. Moreover, being male and being single were positively correlated with sex addiction. The hierarchical regression analysis showed that demographic variables (age, gender, marital status, and educational level) explained 17.5% of the variance in sex addiction scores. The mental health variables (ADHD, OCD, anxiety, and depression) explained 8% of the variance. All of the psychiatric disorder symptoms were positively associated with sex addiction in a logistic regression analysis (crude and adjusted). In conclusion, the study significantly adds to our understanding of mental health symptoms and their role in addictive sex behaviour. Implications of the study’s findings, strengths, and limitations and future research suggestions are discussed.
Key words: sex addiction, hyper-sexuality, compulsive sexual disorder, ADHD, anxiety, depression, OCD | |