You are in Artículos

Sexualized drug use among gay, bisexuals, and other men who have sex with men and its association with mental health symptoms

abstract

Sexualized drug use (SDU) refers to the intentional use of psychoactive substances before or during
a sexual encounter with the aim of improving one’s sexual experience. The goals of this study
were: (a) to analyze the relationship between SDU and a wide range of mental health symptoms
among men who have sex with men (MSM) (e.g., anxiety, somatic symptoms, bipolar disorder,
persistent depression, alcohol dependence); and (b) to examine the relationship between SDU
and various behavioral addictions while controlling for a set of demographic variables, including
serological status. The sample consisted of 493 MSM between 18 and 78 years old (Mage = 32.58,
SD = 11.05). The participants completed self-report measures on SDU, mental health symptoms,
and behavioral addictions. Significantly higher rates of compulsive sexual behavior and drug and
alcohol abuse (large effect sizes) were reported by the SDU participants compared to the non-
SDU participants. Moreover, SDU was also significantly related to delusional symptoms and
compulsive spending (medium effect sizes). The results suggest a pattern of specific mental health
symptoms associated with problematic SDU, rather than a generalized pattern of psychological
dysfunction. Risk-reduction strategies should assess, provide information about, and intervene in
the specific mental health symptoms associated with SDU.

Keywords:

Chemsex; sexualized drug use; men who have sex with men; mental health; behavioral addictions.

View article in PDF View PDF in Spanish

Authors

Manuel Gámez-Guadix - Universidad Autónoma de Madrid
Daniel Incera-Fernández - Universidad Miguel de Cervantes, España
Francisco J. Román - Universidad Autónoma de Madrid
Estíbaliz Mateos-Pérez - Universidad del País Vasco, España
Erika Borrajo - Universidad de Deusto, España
Kenia Martínez - Universidad Autónoma de Madrid