Examining the Treatment Relevance of the Approach-Avoidance Motivation Model for Sexual Interest/Arousal Disorder in Women and Non-Binary Individuals

Abstract

ABSTRACT Up to 8% of cisgender women meet diagnostic criteria for Female Sexual Interest/Arousal Disorder (SIAD), a diagnosis in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, yet treatment research for SIAD remains scarce, particularly for transgender women and non-binary individuals. The treatment relevance of the Approach-Avoidance Motivation Model for SIAD was tested in a sample of cis- and transgender women, and non-binary individuals, who either met criteria for SIAD (n = 45) or reported no sexual concerns (n = 76). Participants completed an online writing exercise previously found to increase the salience of approach or avoidance sexual motivation, or a control writing task. At baseline, and 72 hours following the writing task, they completed measures of sexual motivation, sexual desire, and partnered sexual behaviors. Participants with SIAD in the approach condition significantly increased in approach sexual motivation immediately following the manipulation but these improvements were not maintained 72 hours later. Compared to baseline, participants who wrote about an approach-motivated sexual encounter experienced a decrease in sexual desire and partnered sexual behaviors, while participants who wrote about an avoidance-motivated sexual encounter had decreased motivation but increased partnered sexual behaviors 72 hours following the manipulation. Overall, findings did not show support for the relevance of the approach-avoidance motivation manipulation for SIAD. Future studies might explore novel ways of targeting sexual motivation to address sexual difficulties.