Neuroticismo e inflexibilidade psicológica na ansiedade, depressão e na disfunção sexual: uma abordagem transdiagnóstica

Abstract

Transdiagnostic processes are processes that are observed across different mental health problems, tearing the boundaries defined by traditional nosological categories. Sexual dysfunctions have, however, remained excluded from this body of research. The present study aims to counter this tendency, seeking to deepen the current understanding regarding the relationship between anxiety, depression sexual dysfunctions and established transdiagnostic processes. Through a community sample of 969 individuals, we tested the possibility of understanding these relationships in light of a single factor of anxiety, depression and sexual dysfunction, using exploratory factor analysis. Finally, the mediating role of psychological inflexibility in the relationship between neuroticism and this latent factor was tested. The results indicate that a latent factor explains the shared variance between anxiety, depression, and sexual dysfunction and that the relationship between neuroticism and the latent factor is partially mediated by psychological inflexibility. These results support the inclusion of sexual dysfunction in the internalizing spectrum and partially support the hypothesis that transdiagnostic processes only become maladaptive when applied in a rigid manner.