Depressed women are happy while having ‘sexual intimacy’

Depressed women have more sex than those who are happier because intercourse makes them feel secure, a study claims. Women suffering from mild to moderate depression have a third more sex, regardless of whether they are in a relationship or not, according to the survey of more than 100 Australians.

They also have more sexually liberated attitudes, a bigger variety of sexual experiences and, if single, are more likely to partake in casual sex. Dr Sabura Allen, a clinical psychologist at Monash University, said: “It was more sex and more of everything from kissing to petting, foreplay and intercourse.” Dr Allen studied the recent sexual experiences of 107 depressed and non-depressed women who were in relationships. She said depressed women were likely seeking out sexual intimacy more often to help feel more secure.

“When people are depressed they feel more insecure about their relationships and concerned that their partner may not care about them or find them valuable. “Having sex helps them feel that closeness and security.” The study, which was presented at a mental health conference in Melbourne, will be published in the British Medical Journal. Dr Allen said that Australian couples “tend to have sex between once and three times a week”, with “very much the majority in the once a week group”.

“Single women have it significantly less, but the same is not necessarily true in the case of single men.” However, the researchers are not sure whether sexual intercourse could be an effective cure for depression.

“We really don’t know but we presume it helps as it gives these women opportunities to be close to their partner and loved,” she said. In another research made three years ago, women practicing sex without condoms were more likely to exhibit depressive signs once they experienced sexual halts than those who stopped an intense sexual active period but whose previous partners employed condoms. Anyway, protected or not, sex and orgasm do provoke a release of endorphins, the “happiness” brain hormone that brings mood up and numbs the pain.

Other researchers believe the touch from a spouse or other trusted lover can trigger hormonal boosts. People who touch and are receptive to touches are more likely to be happy and have fewer problems with depression and anxiety. Especially in a committed relationship or marriage, sex provides more opportunity for touching.

And for black men—but not black women, or white men or women—being depressed also increases the likelihood of contracting a sexually transmitted infection (STI), Dr. Maria R. Khan of The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and her colleagues found. For both genders and among blacks and whites, being depressed was associated with a greater likelihood of having multiple sex partners, although it didn’t have an effect on whether or not people used condoms. But black men were the only group for whom recent or chronic depression increased the likelihood of an STI; before adjusting for other factors, depressed black men were nearly twice as likely to contract an STI, while after the researchers adjusted for age, education level, income and other factors, the relationship got even stronger, with chronically depressed black men being at triple the risk of an STI.

However, the fact that depressed black men had more sex partners didn’t account for their greater STI risk, the researchers say. The study wasn’t designed to investigate what other mechanisms might be responsible, they point out; it’s possible depressed black men were more likely to engage in types of risky sex that weren’t looked at in the study, or they may have “high-risk social and sexual networks” compared to non-depressed black men.

“This may be the case, in part, because depression is strongly associated with substance use, and substance users have networks with high levels of STI,” the researchers say. US youth who are depressed are known to be more prone to risky sexual behavior, and to developing STIs, Khan and colleagues note in the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine.

“This study provided further evidence that US youth at high risk for STI also experience a disproportionate risk of depression, highlighting the need for improved integration of mental health and STI diagnosis, treatment, and prevention,” the researchers write.

“Black youth should be a priority when allocating resources to improve mental health care.” While the “Marriage can be good for your blood pressure, scientists claim – but only if it is a happy one. A stressful union can be even worse for your health than being single, they reveal.

The findings appear to support previous research which suggests that happily-married couples are more likely to live longer and be healthier and fitter than those who are single. The study monitored the blood pressure of 204 married and 99 single adults at random intervals throughout the day and night. Scientists found that the happily-married couples scored consistently lower on blood pressure tests than those living alone – even if they had a rich circle of friends. The study also revealed that the worst test scores were found among married couples who fared poorly on “marital satisfaction” tests. Single adults and unhappily married couples also tended to have higher blood pressure during the night, which indicates an increased risk of cardiovascular problems, it added.”

Sources: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/, http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-540588/Depressed-women-sex-happier.html, http://news.softpedia.com/news/Depressed-Women-Have-More-Sex-81482.shtml http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1582396/Depressed-women-crave-sexual-intimacy.html