Psychological Distress as a Primer for Sexual Risk Taking Among Emerging Adults

The consequences of risky sexual behaviors are a serious health concern. We hypothesized that the transitional instability that occurs as a part of typical developmental changes in emerging adulthood would be positively associated with sexual risk taking. A survey of emerging adults showed that the instability–sexual risk-taking association was positive and significant as predicted. Moreover, psychological distress (depression and loneliness) and dysfunctional drinking motivations (drinking to ease emotional pain or to gain peer acceptance) moderated and intensified the association between instability and sexual risk taking. Implications for future research with instability and risk-taking behaviors in emerging adulthood are discussed.

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Past Bullying Victimization Experiences and Current Sexual Risk Taking among Emerging Adults

The Journal of Sex Research ◽

10.1080/00224499.2021.2005761 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-9

Author(s):

Daniel A. Provenzano ◽

Michael S. Boroughs

Keyword(s):

Emerging Adults ◽

Sexual Risk ◽

Risk Taking ◽

Bullying Victimization ◽

Sexual Risk Taking

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Do Psychiatric Disorders Moderate the Relationship Between Psychological Distress and Sexual Risk-Taking Behaviors in Young Men Who Have Sex with Men? A Longitudinal Perspective

AIDS Patient Care and STDs ◽

10.1089/apc.2011.0418 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 26 (6) ◽

pp. 366-374 ◽

Cited By ~ 22

Author(s):

Rinad S. Beidas ◽

Michelle Birkett ◽

Michael E. Newcomb ◽

Brian Mustanski

Keyword(s):

Psychological Distress ◽

Psychiatric Disorders ◽

Sexual Risk ◽

Risk Taking ◽

Young Men ◽

Sexual Risk Taking ◽

Sex With Men ◽

The Relationship ◽

Risk Taking Behaviors

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Peer sexual harassment predicts African American girls’ psychological distress and sexual experimentation

International Journal of Behavioral Development ◽

10.1177/0165025419870292 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 43 (6) ◽

pp. 492-499 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Lynda M. Sagrestano ◽

Alayne J. Ormerod ◽

Cirleen DeBlaere

Keyword(s):

African American ◽

Psychological Distress ◽

Sexual Harassment ◽

Sexual Risk ◽

Risk Taking ◽

Sexual Risk Taking ◽

Sexual Objectification ◽

Peer Sexual Harassment ◽

African American Girls ◽

Sexual Experimentation

Peer sexual harassment (PSH) occurs frequently and across contexts during adolescence. The current study examined the relations among PSH in school, psychological distress, sexual experimentation, and sexual risk-taking in a sample of African American middle and high school girls. Results indicate that negative body appraisals mediated the relationship between PSH and psychological distress, suggesting that PSH is one way to operationalize interpersonal sexualization and sexual objectification. PSH was directly associated with sexual experimentation, but the association between PSH and sexual experimentation was not mediated by negative body appraisals. Neither PSH nor negative body appraisals were related to sexual risk-taking. This suggests that frequent exposure to high levels of sexualization and sexual objectification, in the form of PSH, is associated with more psychological distress and sexual experimentation, but not with sexual risk-taking, regardless of how girls feel about their bodies.

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