Archives of Sexual Behavior

, Volume 42, Issue 1, pp 143–152 | Cite as

Relationship Satisfaction as a Predictor of Treatment Response During Cognitive Behavioral Sex Therapy

  • Kyle R. Stephenson
  • Alessandra H. Rellini
  • Cindy M. Meston
Original Paper
First Online:
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Revised:
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Abstract

Although recent research suggests that individual cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) may be an effective treatment for female sexual dysfunctions, we have little information regarding predictors of treatment response. The goal of the current study was to assess the degree to which pre-treatment relationship satisfaction predicted treatment response to cognitive behavioral sex therapy. Women with sexual dysfunction (n = 31, M age = 28 years, 77.4 % Caucasian) receiving cognitive-behavioral sex therapy with or without ginkgo biloba, as part of a wider randomized clinical trial, were assessed pre- and post-treatment using validated self-report measures of sexual satisfaction, sexual distress, sexual functioning, and relationship satisfaction. Pre-treatment relationship satisfaction predicted changes in sexual satisfaction and distress, but not sexual functioning. Women with higher relationship satisfaction at intake experienced larger gains in sexual satisfaction and distress over the course of treatment. Pre-treatment relationship satisfaction also moderated the association between changes in sexual functioning and changes in sexual distress, such that improved functioning was associated with decreased distress only for women entering therapy with high relationship satisfaction. These findings suggest that, for women with low relationship satisfaction before entering treatment, improvement in sexual functioning may not be enough to alleviate their sexual distress.

Keywords

Cognitive behavioral therapy Sex therapy Treatment response Sexual satisfaction Sexual functioning Sexual distress 
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Notes

Acknowledgments

This publication was supported, in part, by Grant Number 5 RO1 AT00224 from the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine to Cindy M. Meston and, in part, by Grant Number R01 HD51676 from the National Institute for Child Health and Human Development to Cindy M. Meston. Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine or the National Institute for Child Health and Human Development.

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Copyright information

© Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2012

Authors and Affiliations

  • Kyle R. Stephenson
    • 1
  • Alessandra H. Rellini
    • 2
  • Cindy M. Meston
    • 1
  1. 1.Department of PsychologyUniversity of Texas at AustinAustinUSA
  2. 2.Department of PsychologyUniversity of VermontBurlingtonUSA

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