Psychological and Behavioral Treatment of Female Orgasmic Disorder.

INTRODUCTION: Female orgasmic disorder (FOD) is defined as the absence, delay, infrequency, or marked diminishment in intensity of orgasm in at least 75% of sexual experiences, persisting for at least 6 months and causing distress, has specified subtypes, and affects up to 28% of women in the United States and up to 46% in countries across Asia. Orgasmic difficulties are relatively common and create distress for a substantial number of women, though efficacious treatments exist. OBJECTIVE: This article provides a review of psychological treatment of FOD. METHODS: A literature search was conducted using PsycINFO to identify research reporting methods and outcomes of psychological treatment of FOD in peer-reviewed journals and textbooks. Search terms were female orgasmic disorder, anorgasmia, female sexual dysfunction, and orgasm. This search was supplemented with hand-searching references of review articles and journal articles. RESULTS: Psychological treatment has been shown to be effective in helping women with FOD to gain or regain the ability to have orgasms, with higher success rates overall of treating lifelong or generalized vs acquired or situational FOD. Of the variety of treatment approaches that have been tested, the most consistent support emerges for directed masturbation, sensate focus, and psychotherapy. Approaches with little evidence for efficacy as a primary mode of treatment include systematic desensitization, bibliotherapy, and coital alignment technique training. CONCLUSION: While existing research provides a solid foundation of knowledge, treatment of FOD has seen little innovation since the 1980s. Future research should aim for broader understanding of etiologies of all types of FOD, understanding reasons for lack of treatment success for women who have not improved with treatment, and identifying ways of tailoring FOD treatment and success rates for multicultural and community populations. Erica Marchand. Psychological and Behavioral Treatment of Female Orgasmic Disorder. Sex Med Rev 2021;9:194-211.

Development and pilot testing of a psychosocial intervention program for young breast cancer survivors.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the development, pilot testing, and dissemination of a psychosocial intervention addressing concerns of young breast cancer survivors (YBCS). METHODS: Intervention development included needs assessment with community organizations and interviews with YBCS. Based on evidence-based models of treatment, the intervention included tools for managing anxiety, fear of recurrence, tools for decision-making, and coping with sexuality/relationship issues. After pilot testing in a university setting, the program was disseminated to two community clinical settings. RESULTS: The program has two distinct modules (anxiety management and relationships/sexuality) that were delivered in two sessions; however, due to attrition, an all day workshop evolved. An author constructed questionnaire was used for pre- and post-intervention evaluation. Post-treatment scores showed an average increase of 2.7 points on a 10 point scale for the first module, and a 2.3 point increase for the second module. Qualitative feedback surveys were also collected. The two community sites demonstrated similar gains among their participants. CONCLUSIONS: The intervention satisfies an unmet need for YBCS and is a possible model of integrating psychosocial intervention with oncology care. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: This program developed standardized materials which can be disseminated to other organizations and potentially online for implementation within community settings.

Development of a composite trauma exposure risk index.

The high burden of exposure to chronic life adversities and trauma is quite prevalent, but assessment of this risk burden is uncommon in primary care settings. This calls for a brief, multiple dimensional mental health risk screening tool in primary care settings. We aimed to develop such a screening tool named the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Life Adversities Screener (LADS). Using pooled data across 4 studies from the UCLA Center for Culture, Trauma, and Mental Health Disparities, 5 domains of mental health risk including perceived discrimination, sexual abuse histories, family adversity, intimate partner violence, and trauma histories, were identified. Regression models for depression (Centers for Epidemiology Studies Depression Scale) and posttraumatic stress disorder (Posttraumatic Diagnostic Scale), controlling for demographic factors, were fitted to develop a weighted continuous scale score for the UCLA LADS. Confirmatory factor analysis supported the 5-domain structure, while item response theory endorsed the inclusion of each item. Receiver operating characteristic analysis indicated that the score was predictive for classifying subjects as reaching clinical threshold criteria for either depression (Beck Depression Inventory-II ≥ 14 or Patient Health Questionnaire-9 ≥ 10) or anxiety (Patient Health Questionnaire-13 ≥10). An optimal cut of 0.33 is suggested based on maximizing sensitivity and specificity of the LADS score, identifying patients at high risk for mental health problems. Given its predictive utility and ease of administration, the UCLA LADS could be useful as a screener to identify racial minority individuals in primary care settings who have a high trauma burden, needing more extensive evaluation.

HPV vaccination and sexual behavior in a community college sample.

Many US parents are concerned that vaccinating daughters against human papillomavirus (HPV) will communicate implicit approval for sexual activity and be associated with early or risky sexual behavior (Scarinci et al. in J Womens Health 16(8):1224-1233, 2007; Schuler et al. in Sex Transm Infect 87:349-353, 2011). The aims of this study were to understand (a) whether the HPV vaccine was associated with risky sexual behavior among a diverse sample of female adolescents and young adults, and (b) to better understand the chronology of HPV vaccination and sexual behavior. An anonymous web-based survey was used to collect data from 114 female community college students. T test and Chi square analyses were used to compare vaccinated and unvaccinated groups on age at first intercourse and proportion who had ever had sexual intercourse. Linear multiple regression was used to predict frequency of condom use and number of sexual partners in the past year, using vaccination status and demographic factors as predictors. About 38% reported receiving at least one dose of the HPV vaccine. Many of those vaccinated (45%) received the vaccine after having initiated sexual activity. The proportion of women who were sexually experienced did not differ by HPV vaccine status, nor did age at first intercourse, number of partners in the past year, or frequency of condom use. Current findings suggest that HPV vaccination is not associated with riskier sexual activity for the young women in this sample. Adolescents and their parents may benefit from education about the need to receive the HPV vaccine before onset of sexual activity.

Forced intercourse, individual and family context, and risky sexual behavior among adolescent girls.

PURPOSE: This study tested the hypothesis that individual and family factors associated with adolescent risky sexual behavior (RSB) operate differently in their relationship to RSB among girls who have experienced forced sexual intercourse (FSI), as compared to those girls who have not. METHODS: Data were collected from 3,863 eighth-grade girls from a larger statewide sample. Different subgroups of participants received different sets of questions, so 655-2,548 students were included in each analysis. Multilevel modeling was used to examine relationships of individual (social negotiation skills, personal safety, depression, and sensation-seeking personality) and family factors (sibling deviance, parental monitoring, and quality of family relationships) to RSB. FSI was examined as a predictor of RSB and as a moderator of the relationship between individual and family variables and sexual risk. RESULTS: In the case of individual predictors, social negotiation skills were associated with lower RSB for all girls, but these skills had a stronger relationship to RSB among girls who had experienced FSI. Depression and sensation-seeking tendencies had small positive relationships to RSB for all girls. In the case of family predictors, for girls without a history of FSI, parental monitoring was associated with lower RSB. However, among girls who had experienced FSI, parental monitoring was not significantly related to RSB, but sibling deviance was associated with lower RSB. CONCLUSIONS: Results suggest that social negotiation skills and parental monitoring may warrant further attention in research and intervention.

Low HPV vaccine coverage among female community college students.

This study assessed HPV vaccination and its correlates among culturally diverse 18-26 year-old community college women in Los Angeles. Specific research questions were: (1) What proportion of respondents have initiated the HPV vaccine, and what proportion have completed the three-dose series? (2) What demographic (e.g., age, ethnicity), psychosocial (e.g., vaccine-related beliefs, perceived social norms), and health care-related variables (e.g., health insurance status, provider recommendation, health care trust and satisfaction) are associated with vaccine initiation for this sample? Participants were recruited from the campus of a community college in central Los Angeles. All female students between 18 and 26 were eligible to participate. An anonymous web-based survey assessed number of HPV vaccine doses received as well as demographic information, HPV- and HPV vaccine-related knowledge, attitudes, and behavior, perceived social norms, provider & health care system factors, sexual behavior, cervical health, and mother-daughter communication about sex. Analyses were conducted using 178 surveys. Multivariate logistic regression tested the relationships of statistically significant bivariate predictors to vaccine initiation. Those who initiated the vaccine were younger, more often had a health-related academic major, thought the vaccine to be safer, perceived HPV severity lower, and perceived higher social approval for HPV vaccination than those unvaccinated. All who had initiated the vaccine had a doctor's recommendation. To increase uptake among 18-26-year-old women, research should explore provider interventions to increase vaccine recommendation, and also identify individuals and groups who may have negative beliefs about vaccine safety and efficacy to provide support in vaccine decision-making.

Understanding suboptimal human papillomavirus vaccine uptake among ethnic minority girls.

BACKGROUND: The introduction of human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines represents a breakthrough in the primary prevention of cervical cancer. However, little is known about vaccination uptake and correlates among low-income, ethnic minority, and immigrant populations in the U.S. who may benefit most from the vaccine. METHODS: Telephone interviews (N = 490) were conducted in six languages between January and November 2009 among mothers of vaccine-eligible girls (ages 9-18) using the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, Office of Women's Health service referral hotline. HPV and vaccine awareness, knowledge, beliefs, barriers, and daughter's vaccine receipt were assessed. RESULTS: The sample consisted of low-income, uninsured, ethnic minority, and immigrant women. Only 29% of daughters initiated the vaccine and 11% received all three doses. No ethnic differences were observed in initiation or completion rates. Ethnic differences were observed in HPV awareness, perceived risk, and other vaccine-related beliefs. The strongest predictor of initiation was vaccine awareness (OR = 12.00). Daughter's age and reporting a younger acceptable age for vaccination were positively associated with initiation. Mothers of unvaccinated girls reported lacking information about the vaccine to make a decision (66%) and not knowing where they could obtain the vaccine (74%). CONCLUSION: Vaccination rates in this sample were lower than state and national estimates, and were associated with low levels of vaccine awareness. Interventions, including culturally targeted messaging, may be helpful for enhancing HPV-vaccine knowledge, modifying vaccine-related beliefs and increasing uptake. IMPACT: Our findings provide valuable guidance for developing interventions to address suboptimal HPV vaccination in high-risk groups.

Moving from efficacy to effectiveness trials in prevention research.

Efficacy trials test whether interventions work under optimal, highly controlled conditions whereas effectiveness trials test whether interventions work with typical clients and providers in real-world settings. Researchers, providers, and funding bodies have called for more effectiveness trials to understand whether interventions produce effects under ecologically valid conditions, which factors predict program effectiveness, and what strategies are needed to successfully implement programs in practice settings. The transition from efficacy to effectiveness with preventive interventions involves unique considerations, some of which are not shared by treatment research. The purpose of this article is to discuss conceptual and methodological issues that arise when making the transition from efficacy to effectiveness research in primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention, drawing on the experiences of two complimentary research groups as well as the existing literature. We address (a) program of research, (b) intervention design and conceptualization, (c) participant selection and characteristics, (d) providers, (e) context, (f) measurement and methodology, (g) outcomes, (h) cost, and (i) sustainability. We present examples of research in eating disorder prevention that demonstrate the progression from efficacy to effectiveness trials.

Effects of an indicated cognitive-behavioral depression prevention program are similar for Asian American, Latino, and European American adolescents.

The authors tested whether a brief indicated cognitive-behavioral depression prevention program produced similar effects for Asian American, Latino, and European American adolescents (M age = 17.3, SD = 1.6) with elevated depressive symptoms using data from two randomized trials. The first trial involved 37 Asian-American/Pacific Islanders, 32 Latinos, and 98 European Americans and the second trial involved 61 Latinos and 72 European Americans. Reductions in depressive symptoms from pre- to post-intervention and from pre to 6-month follow-up for intervention participants versus assessment-only controls did not differ significantly for the various ethnic groups in either trial, despite sufficient power to detect clinically meaningful differences. These findings suggest that this indicated depression prevention intervention is similarly efficacious for Asian American, Latino and European American adolescents.

Effects of a cognitive dissonance-based eating disorder prevention program are similar for Asian American, Hispanic, and White participants.

OBJECTIVE: This study explored the effects of participating in a dissonance-based eating disorder prevention program on changes in thin ideal internalization, body dissatisfaction, and eating symptoms among White, Asian American, and Hispanic participants. METHOD: Participants were (n = 394), 13 to 20-year-old adolescent girls and young women who reported being White (n = 311), Hispanic/Latina (n = 61), or Asian-American/Hawaiian/Pacific Islander (n = 33). The current study used data drawn from the pre- and post assessments of an efficacy trial and an effectiveness trial of this eating disorder prevention program. RESULTS: The intervention reduced disordered eating behaviors and eating disorder risk factors for all three ethnic groups at post-intervention assessment; there was no evidence of significantly stronger effects in any particular ethnic group. CONCLUSION: Results suggest that a cognitive dissonance-based prevention program for eating disorders may be equally effective for Asian American, Hispanic, and White adolescent women.