Investigation of Temperament Traits and Anxiety Sensitivity in Women Diagnosed with Vaginismus: A Cross-Sectional Case-Control Study

It is thought that anxiety sensitivity and temperament characteristics in women diagnosed with vaginismus may be determinant on the development, persistence and treatment processes of the condition. This study aims to examine anxiety sensitivity and temperament characteristics in women diagnosed with vaginismus. The study included 40 female participant diagnosed with vaginismus and 40 women without sexual dysfunction as control group. All participants were administered the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Axis-I Disorders, followed by the Golombok-Rust Sexual Satisfaction Scale, Anxiety Sensitivity Index-3, and Temperament Evaluation of Memphis, Pisa, Paris, and San Diego Autoquestionnaire. Anxiety sensitivity levels were significantly higher in the vaginismus group compared to the control group. It was determined that depressive, irritable and anxious temperament subscale scores were significantly higher in the vaginismus group compared to the control group. While anxiety sensitivity, depressive temperament and anxious temperament traits, which showed significant differences between the groups, maintained their significant differences after controlling for covariates the significant difference in irritable temperament disappeared. Vaginismus is not only an obstacle to sexual intercourse, but also a multidimensional clinical picture that affects couples in different areas and in its etiology individual factors such as anxiety sensitivity and temperamental characteristics may play a role.