The Role of Social Support and Childhood Abuse in Sexual Addiction

Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to examine the relationship between childhood abuse, social support, and sexual addiction, identifying the predictive roles of these variables in the manifestation of compulsive sexual behaviors.

Methods and Materials: The study employed a cross-sectional design with a sample of 370 virtual university students in Tehran during the 2021-2022 academic year. Participants were selected using stratified random sampling. Data were collected using the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ) to assess abuse experiences, the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS) to evaluate perceived social support, and the Sexual Addiction Screening Test-Revised (SAST-R) to measure sexual addiction. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlations, and multiple linear regression in SPSS version 27.

Findings: The results revealed a significant positive correlation between childhood abuse and sexual addiction (r = 0.46, p < .001) and a significant negative correlation between social support and sexual addiction (r = -0.52, p < .001). Regression analysis indicated that childhood abuse (B = 0.39, β = 0.41, p < .001) and social support (B = -0.47, β = -0.45, p < .001) were significant predictors of sexual addiction, collectively explaining 35% of the variance (R² = 0.35). The findings highlight the detrimental impact of childhood abuse and the protective role of social support in mitigating compulsive sexual behaviors.

Conclusion: The study underscores the importance of addressing childhood abuse and enhancing social support in interventions targeting sexual addiction. Therapeutic approaches focusing on mentalization and emotion regulation, along with community-based programs fostering support networks, may effectively reduce the prevalence of sexual addiction and its associated psychological burden.