Interpersonal violence, early life adversity, and suicidal behavior in hypersexual men

There are significant gaps in knowledge regarding the role of childhood adversity, interpersonal violence, and suicidal behavior in hypersexual disorder (HD). The aim of this study was to investigate interpersonal violence in hypersexual men compared with healthy volunteers and the experience of violence in relation to suicidal behavior. Methods This case–control study includes 67 male patients with HD and 40 healthy male volunteers. The Childhood Trauma Questionnaire – Short Form (CTQ-SF) and the Karolinska Interpersonal Violence Scale (KIVS) were used for assessing early life adversity and interpersonal violence in childhood and in adult life. Suicidal behavior (attempts and ideation) was assessed with the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview (version 6.0) and the Montgomery–Åsberg Depression Rating Scale – Self-rating. Results Hypersexual men reported more exposure to violence in childhood and more violent behavior as adults compared with healthy volunteers. Suicide attempters (n = 8, 12%) reported higher KIVS total score, more used violence as a child, more exposure to violence as an adult as well as higher score on CTQ-SF subscale measuring sexual abuse (SA) compared with hypersexual men without suicide attempt. Discussion Hypersexuality was associated with interpersonal violence with higher total scores in patients with a history of suicide attempt. The KIVS subscale exposure to interpersonal violence as a child was validated using the CTQ-SF but can be complemented with questions focusing on SA for full assessment of early life adversity. Conclusion Childhood adversity is an important factor in HD and interpersonal violence might be related to suicidal behavior in hypersexual men

Impulsivity in Compulsive Sexual Behavior Disorder and Pedophilic Disorder

Background and aims: Impulsivity is regarded as a risk factor for sexual crime reoffending, and a suggested core feature in Compulsive Sexual Behavior Disorder. The aim of this study was to explore clinical (e.g. neurodevelopmental disorders), behavioral and neurocognitive dimensions of impulsivity in disorders of problematic sexuality, and the possible correlation between sexual compulsivity and impulsivity. Methods: Men with Compulsive Sexual Behavior Disorder (n = 20), and Pedophilic Disorder (n = 55), enrolled in two separate drug trials in a specialized Swedish sexual medicine outpatient clinic, as well as healthy male controls (n = 57) were assessed with the Hypersexual Behavior Inventory (HBI) for sexual compulsivity, and with the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS) and Connors' Continuous Performance Test-II (CPT-II) for impulsivity. Psychiatric comorbidity information was extracted from interviews and patient case files. Results: Approximately a quarter of the clinical groups had Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) or Autism Spectrum Disorder. Both clinical groups reported more compulsive sexuality (r = 0.73-0.75) and attentional impulsivity (r = 0.36-0.38) than controls (P < 0.05). Based on results on univariate correlation analysis, BIS attentional score, ADHD, and Commissions T-score from CPT-II were entered in a multiple linear regression model, which accounted for 15% of the variance in HBI score (P < 0.0001). BIS attentional score was the only independent positive predictor of HBI (P = 0.001). Discussion: Self-rated attentional impulsivity is an important associated factor of compulsive sexuality, even after controlling for ADHD. Psychiatric comorbidity and compulsive sexuality are common in Pedophilic Disorder. Conclusion: Neurodevelopmental disorders and attentional impulsivity - including suitable interventions - should be further investigated in both disorders

Compulsive sexual behavior disorder: clinical characteristics and treatment with Naltrexone

Background: Compulsive Sexual Behavior Disorder (CSBD) is characterized by sexual preoccupation and loss of control of sexual behaviors causing distress, negative consequences, and impairment. Despite its high prevalence, the condition is understudied in terms of background factors and treatment.  Aims: The overall aim of this thesis is to investigate clinical characteristics with a specific focus on self-reported experience of interpersonal violence and various dimensions of impulsivity, and to evaluate treatment with naltrexone in help-seeking men with CSBD.  Methods: In Study I, 67 men with CSBD were compared with 40 healthy, age-matched controls concerning interpersonal violence measured with the Karolinska Interpersonal Violence Scale (KIVS). In Study II, clinical, neurocognitive, and self-reported measures of impulsivity were compared between men with CSBD (n=20), a clinical control cohort with pedophilic disorder (n=55), and a healthy male control cohort (n=57). In Study III, 20 men with CSBD received four weeks of treatment with the opioid antagonist naltrexone, followed by a four-week follow-up phase. Adverse effects, adherence to treatment, and changes in compulsive sexual behavior were assessed. Study IV is an ongoing randomized controlled trial in which 80 individuals with CSBD receive either naltrexone or the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) fluoxetine for eight weeks, followed by a six-week follow-up phase. The primary outcome measure is Hypersexual Disorder: Current Assessment Scale (HD:CAS), also used in Study III. Results: In Study I, men with CSBD had higher scores on self-reports of exposure to violence in childhood and use of violence as adults, as well as higher KIVS total scores compared with healthy controls. Those who had made a suicide attempt (n=8, 12%) reported higher scores of sexual abuse in childhood as well as the highest value of total experience of interpersonal violence. In Study II, neurodevelopmental disorders were common in both clinical cohorts, both of which also reported more compulsive sexuality and attentional impulsivity than controls. Self-reported attentional impulsivity was the only independent positive predictor of compulsive sexual behavior. In Study III, despite initial adverse effects being common, naltrexone was found tolerable and the study procedures were feasible. Self-reported measures of compulsive sexual behavior decreased during treatment with naltrexone.  Conclusion: Interpersonal violence may be related to suicidal behavior in CSBD; and attentional impulsivity is linked to the level of compulsive sexual behavior. Screening for interpersonal violence and neurodevelopmental disorders should be part of routine assessment in disorders of problematic sexuality. Treatment with naltrexone was tolerable and might be a suitable option for treatment in CSBD if found efficacious in the ongoing randomized controlled trial