Compassion and suppression in caregivers: twin masks of tragedy and joy of caring

Background: Compassionate caregiving is a critical skill for workers among the helping professions, but the degree of empathy required by caregivers can place high demands on their mental and emotional resources. While many professionals employ successful coping strategies to mitigate these stressors, others experience compassion fatigue or burnout from emotional exhaustion. The objective of this research was to evaluate the relationships between caregivers’ demographic/career variables, compassion satisfaction, compassion fatigue, and psychodynamic defense mechanisms such as suppression, repressive function, regression in the service of the Ego, and rationalization. Methods: Participants were 250 caregivers with 178 (71,2%) women and 72 men (28,8%) between 18 and 80 years old (Mean age = 41,37; SD = 13,78). Standardized instruments were used to assess compassion in its different meanings (Professional Quality of Life Measure, ProQOL-5) and deployment of defense mechanisms such as suppression (Suppression Mental Questionnaire, SMQ). Correlational analyses were performed. Results: Greater compassion satisfaction was positively associated with more years of study and inversely associated with increasing age and working days per week. Burnout was positively correlated with greater age, more working hours per week, and more working days per week. Higher secondary traumatic stress was associated with increasing age, higher working hours, and more working days per week, while it was inversely associated with more years of study. Regarding the psychological defense mechanisms, more years of study was inversely associated with lower deployment of the repressive function, regression in the service of the Ego, and rationalization. Advancing age was negatively correlated with repression and regression in the service of the Ego, while it was positively correlated with rationalization. A higher number of working days per week was associated with greater utilization of all defense mechanisms, and higher working hours per week was correlated with higher SMQ total scores and greater use of the repressive function. Greater deployment of nearly all defense mechanisms was associated with greater secondary traumatic stress, while compassion satisfaction was associated with less utilization of repression, rationalization, and lower total SMQ scores. Conclusions: Excessive reliance on psychodynamic defense mechanisms can increase caregivers’ risk for burnout or secondary traumatic stress. Compassion satisfaction might serve as one coping strategy to mitigate emotional exhaustion among professionals

Obesity, Body Image Dissatisfaction, and Sexual Dysfunction: A Narrative Review

With approximately two-thirds of the United States adult population classified as overweight or obese, obesity remains a critical public health concern. Obesity not only contributes to several health complications including type 2 diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular disease, but the condition is also associated with sexual dysfunction in both women and men. Despite evidence linking obesity and its concomitant pathophysiology to sexual problems, the potential roles of psychosocial factors such as body image are understudied. This narrative review evaluates the research linkages between obesity and sexual dysfunction, with particular attention to the potential effects of body image dissatisfaction. A literature search of biomedical and psychological databases was used to identify research pertaining to obesity, sexual function, and/or body image constructs. The pathophysiological effects of obesity on sexual function are well-documented in mechanistic studies and animal trials, often with corroboration in human clinical samples. However, very few studies examine obesity, body image, and sexual function in tandem. Body image dissatisfaction appears to independently impinge upon the sexual response cycle and mental health outcomes, irrespective of body weight. While obesity is often associated with negative body image appraisal, it is unclear whether these constructs exert additive, synergistic, or antagonistic effects on sexual responsivity. Additionally, overweight/obese individuals who exhibit higher levels of body image satisfaction or self-confidence appear to be protected from the deleterious effects of obesity on sexual satisfaction, at least to some extent. Greater reliance upon conceptual/theoretical models from the body image literature may better clarify the relationships between these constructs

Short Chain Fatty Acids in the Colon and Peripheral Tissues: A Focus on Butyrate, Colon Cancer, Obesity and Insulin Resistance

Increased dietary fiber consumption has been associated with many beneficial effects, including amelioration of obesity and insulin resistance. These effects may be due to the increased production of short chain fatty acids, including propionate, acetate and butyrate, during fermentation of the dietary fiber in the colon. Indeed, oral and dietary supplementation of butyrate alone has been shown to prevent high fat-diet induced obesity and insulin resistance. This review focuses on sources of short chain fatty acids, with emphasis on sources of butyrate, mechanisms of fiber and butyrate metabolism in the gut and its protective effects on colon cancer and the peripheral effects of butyrate supplementation in peripheral tissues in the prevention and reversal of obesity and insulin resistance

Plant-Derived Supplements for Sexual Health and Problems: Part 1—Trends over the Past Decade

Purpose of Review In this update on plant-derived supplements, we provide a general introduction regarding the status and interest in phytochemicals for sexual health, indicating both progress and problems with past and current research. Recent Findings We summarize the development and current status of two well-known plant-derived supplements, using them as case studies for understanding some of the problems associated with the study of such supplements on sexual health. Summary We interpret the current situation regarding plant-derived supplements, identify common sources/journals for information about medicinal herbs for sexual health, identify supplements that are garnering increasing attention within the research community, and discuss the larger potential and pitfalls associated with this domain of research

Effects of Pornography Use and Demographic Parameters on Sexual Response during Masturbation and Partnered Sex in Women

The effect of pornography on sexual response is understudied, particularly among women. A multinational, community-based sample of 2433 women at least 18 years of age completed a 42-item, opt-in questionnaire collecting information on demographic and sexual history characteristics, use of pornography during masturbation, frequency of pornography use, and sexual response parameters. Pornography use and average frequency were compared across demographic variables. We also examined how pornography frequency predicted differences in self-reported arousal difficulty; orgasmic difficulty, latency, and pleasure; and the percent of sexual activities ending in orgasm during both masturbation and partnered sex. On average, women using pornography were younger, and reported more interest in sex. Pornography frequency differed significantly by menopausal status, sexual orientation, anxiety/depression status, number of sexual partners, and origin of data collection. During masturbation, more frequent pornography use predicted lower arousal difficulty and orgasmic difficulty, greater pleasure, and a higher percentage of masturbatory events leading to orgasm. Frequency of pornography use predicted only lower arousal difficulty and longer orgasmic latencies during partnered sex, having no effect on the other outcome variables. Pornography use frequency did not predict overall relationship satisfaction or sexual relationship satisfaction. Overall, more frequent pornography use was generally associated with more favorable sexual response outcomes during masturbation, while not affecting most partnered sex parameters. Several demographic and relationship covariates appear to more consistently and strongly predict orgasmic problems during partnered sexual activity than pornography use

From Table to Bedroom: Nutritional Status, Dietary Interventions, and Women’s Sexual Function

Purpose of Review In this review, we summarize recent empirical evidence assessing the relationship between nutrition and female sexual dysfunction and give a broad interpretation of the effects. Recent Findings Dietary patterns that ensure adequate intake of shortfall nutrients may help to ameliorate reproductive problems associated with eating disorders, while supplementation in women with low vitamin D status improves sexual functioning. Combination treatments addressing body image concerns and maladaptive eating habits appear to be more effective for some eating disorder subtypes that result in malnutrition. For overweight and obese women, weight loss resulting from dietary changes and/or bariatric surgery tends to improve sexual interest, arousal, and activity. The metabolic perturbations that characterize diabetes mellitus and polycystic ovarian syndrome warrant nutritional interventions, and these lifestyle modifications often improve sexual functioning. Evidence for the use of specific dietary supplements to improve sexual responsivity in women has generally not been supported. Summary Nutritional status can elicit, exacerbate, or ameliorate sexual problems. Treatment of female sexual dysfunction may be enhanced by a multidisciplinary approach incorporating cutting-edge developments in nutrition science

Plant-Derived Supplements for Sexual Health and Problems, Part 2: Further Evidence for Specific Herbal Effects

Purpose of Review In this review, we revisit and evaluate empirical research on six herbal supplements purported to affect sexual and/or reproductive function in men and women. Recent Findings We summarize and critically review recent evidence—both human and non-human—supporting the role of six commonly cited herbs on men’s and women’s sexual health, identifying possible mechanisms of action, as well as gaps in the literature. Summary Burgeoning interest in phytochemical research over the past decade has helped to elucidate potential mechanisms of action through which these plant-derived supplements may exert pro-sexual benefits. More methodologically rigorous, large-scale clinical trials are still needed to determine the extent to which encouraging findings in rodent, cell culture, and ex vivo models are generalizable to human populations

Why and How Women Masturbate, and the Relationship to Orgasmic Response

Masturbation, as a significant sexual activity within its own right, has garnered substantial interest as a research topic only within the past 10–20 years. In this in-depth analysis of masturbation in women, we examined relationships among frequencies of, reasons for, and activities during masturbation, and investigated how such parameters predict orgasmic pleasure, latency, and difficulty. Participants were 2215 women at least 18 years of age participating in a 42-item opt-in online survey that collected detailed information about women’s orgasmic response during masturbation and partnered sex. Higher frequency of masturbation was related to lower satisfaction with partner, greater importance of sex, and higher levels of general anxiety/depression. Frequency of, reasons for, and activities during masturbation predicted both orgasmic pleasure and orgasmic difficulty during masturbation. The pattern of results enabled the development of three typologies of women who differ systematically with respect to their masturbation and partnered sex behaviors

Description of and Relationships among Potential Variables Supported for the Diagnosis of Delayed Ejaculation

The lack of empirically based diagnostic criteria for delayed ejaculation (DE) not only undermines confidence in the reported prevalence rates for this sexual dysfunction, but it has also resulted in a lack of validated patient reported outcomes (PROs) for assessing this condition. The current study was designed to describe and evaluate six face-valid variables previously shown to discriminate between men with and without DE for their utility as diagnostic measures for DE. A sample of 1285 men (mean age = 37.8, SD = 12.7) free of erectile problems and premature ejaculation completed an online sexual health survey that included potential questions intended for use in the diagnosis of DE. Questionnaire items included ones reflective of previously proposed diagnostic constructs related to DE: ejaculation timing/latency, ejaculation efficacy/control, and negative effects of DE. Results indicated that five of the six proposed items showed moderate intercorrelations, suggesting that each constituted a distinct (i.e., non-redundant) though relevant criterion related to the diagnosis of DE. Based on the level of interrelatedness, the better items representing each construct were included in commonality analysis to assess their unique contributions to the diagnosis of DE. Perceived lack of ejaculatory efficacy/control contributed the largest portion of the variance to the diagnosis of DE (58%), with bother/distress (an index of the negative effects of DE) contributing the second largest portion (25%), and ejaculation timing/latency contributing only a small portion of the variance (6%) to the diagnosis of DE. The relevance of these findings to developing a patient report outcome (PRO) for diagnosing DE that considers both empirically supported questions/items and an appropriate balance of items regarding the three constructs was discussed