Investigating Correlates of Hypersexual Behavior in Religious Patients

The current study investigated correlates of hypersexuality in a sample of religious (n = 52) and non-religious (n = 105) men assessed for hypersexual disorder as part of the DSM-5 Field Trial. Our results indicate that religiosity was unrelated to self-reported levels of hypersexuality as measured by the Hypersexual Behavior Inventory and the Hypersexual Behavior Consequences Scale. Patients who reported being highly religious had comparable levels of problematic solo-sex behaviors (e.g., pornography use and masturbation) as non-religious patients, but significantly less relational sexual behaviors as measured by the number of lifetime sex partners and sex partners in the previous 12-month period. Further, the religious hypersexual group showed significantly lower levels of alcohol and drug abuse, as well as anxiety, compared to the non-religious hypersexual patients. Interestingly, we did not observe group differences on indices of shame, life satisfaction, impulsivity, or stress proneness. Religiosity was correlated with greater levels of depression, but only among the religious group of hypersexual patients. Implications for these findings are discussed, along with suggestions for future research among populations of religious patients seeking help for hypersexual behavior.