EMPIRICAL RESEARCH: THE DETERMINANTS OF SEXUAL WELL-BEING IN THE CONTEXT OF WAR

Abstract

The paper presents the results of an empirical study on the socio-psychological factors of sexual well-being in the context of war. During the pilot stage of the study, in which 367 individuals participated, the content and intensity of the impact of war-related factors, as well as the changes in relationship and sexual life spheres, were examined. The main study was conducted on a sample of 126 participants. Its methodological basis included the Wiesbaden Inventory for Positive Psychotherapy and Family Therapy (WIPPF), the Bem Sex Role Inventory (BSRI), the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10), the Dyadic Coping Inventory (DCI), the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), and the Subjective Sexual Well-Being Questionnaire (V. Hupalovska). Statistical analysis was performed using comparative, correlational, and factor analysis methods. The study identified key salutogenic factors contributing to sexual well-being in wartime, including: the actualized abilities of love, sexuality, and openness (according to WIPPF); an androgynous model of gender role identity; and positive dyadic coping. Negative influences on sexual well-being were associated with the use of fantasy as a stress-processing mechanism, negative dyadic coping by the partner, stress, anxiety, depression, and sexual dysfunctions. Among the group of respondents who experienced a decline in sexual life during the war, a pathogenic model was observed, indicating that stress related to wartime situations was processed through the sphere of sexual relations. This model associates sexual well-being with higher levels of stress, anxiety, and depression, the use of the physical body as a tool for coping with stress, and shows an inverse correlation with the ability to love. Factor analysis revealed a six-factor model of sexual well-being, consisting of the following components: couple synergy, intimacy, «Eros», personal maturity, psycho-emotional state, and life challenges.