Repetitive Negative Thinking and Sexual Functioning in Portuguese Men and Women: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Repetitive negative thinking (RNT) is a transdiagnostic process involved in the development and maintenance of emotional disorders that negatively affect sexual functioning. However, empirical evidence for the role of RNT on sexual functioning is still lacking. The current study aimed to investigate the role of RNT on sexual functioning in men and women by examining differences in RNT between men and women and between individuals with and without subclinical sexual difficulties. It also aimed to investigate the predictive role of RNT on sexual function indices in men and women. A total of 424 participants (270 women) completed online a sociodemographic questionnaire and Portuguese versions of the Persistent and Intrusive Negative Thoughts Scale, the Female Sexual Functioning Index, and the International Index of Erectile Function. The main findings showed that women scored significantly higher than men on the RNT. Similarly, individuals with subclinical sexual difficulties scored significantly higher on the RNT compared with individuals without sexual difficulties. RNT was a statistically significant and negative predictor of sexual functioning in women and men. The role of RNT on sexual functioning in women and men was found, with men and women with subclinical sexual difficulties more likely to express persistent and intrusive negative thoughts compared with men and women without sexual difficulties. In summary, RNT appears to be a negative predictor of sexual functioning in both women and men, suggesting that individuals with more intrusive and negative persistent thoughts also have more difficulty in their sexual response.