Abstract
Introduction: Evidence on sexual behaviour and COVID-19 shows a change in sexual habits; however, there is no research on the association between mental health and sexual activity. Aim: To examine the relationship between mental health and sexual activity during the quarantine in Spanish adults. Methods: A sample of 305 adults filled out an online questionnaire. Sexual activity was assessed with one question. Anxiety and depression symptoms were assessed using the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), respectively. To check associations between levels of both anxiety and depressive symptoms (exposure) and weekly prevalence of sexual activity (outcome), we conducted multiple logistic regression adjusted for control variables (marital status, employment, average household annual income, place of living, pre-COVID-19 sexual activity, current smoking, current alcohol consumption, chronic physical conditions, chronic psychiatric conditions, physical symptoms, and days of confinement). Results: Higher depression level was associated with lower weekly sexual activity in a dose-response fashion in the three implemented models. Participants with higher levels of depression were associated with significantly lower sexual activity in the fully adjusted model (OR: 0.09, 95% CI 0.01–0.61). Mild anxiety-level participants consistently presented significantly lower ORs for lower sexual activity than their minimal-anxiety category counterparts. Particularly, the fully adjusted model showed the lower values (OR: 0.40, 95% CI 0.19–0.84). Conclusion: The results of this study support existing evidence stressing the association between mental health and sexual activity in quarantined adults.
Highlights
As in many other countries, the Spanish Government has been implementing different public health strategies in order to slow the spread and “flatten the curve” of the ongoing human-to-human transmission of the COVID-19
To check associations between weekly prevalence of sexual activity among different levels of both depression and anxiety, we conducted multiple logistic regression adjusted for control variables
In the present sample, comprising 305 Spanish confined adults, we found that both higher anxiety and depressive symptoms had a negative dose-response on the level of sexual activity
Summary
As in many other countries, the Spanish Government has been implementing different public health strategies in order to slow the spread and “flatten the curve” of the ongoing human-to-human transmission of the COVID-19. In this regard, after the statement of the outbreak of COVID-19 as a global pandemic by the World Health Organisation and due to the high number of diagnosed cases in Spain, from 15 March until 2 May 2020, a period of total quarantine was established in Spain [1]. Among the different collateral impacts due to the pandemic situation and the public health measures to combat COVID-19 infection, sexual.
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