Behavioral Health Provider Attitudes and Beliefs about Sexuality and Intimacy: Findings from a Mixed Method Design

Behavioral Health Provider Attitudes and Beliefs about Sexuality and Intimacy: Findings from a Mixed Method Design

Julie Tennille

Casey Bohrman

Stacey Barrenger

Emma Compton

Evan Meduna

Louis Klein

2022

Recovery-oriented services overlook a crucial health domain for persons with severe mental illnesses (SMI): sexuality and intimacy. Though this aspect of social recovery correlates with improved life quality and treatment outcomes, behavioral health (BH) providers avoid such topics. The study's purpose was to obtain an updated snapshot of their attitudes and beliefs about sexuality and intimacy communication. Utilizing a community advisory board, we adapted the Sexual Attitudes and Beliefs Survey (SABS) and distributed it via survey link to a national listserv. We used independent samples t-tests to examine differences on SABS mean scores by gender, age group, educational attainment, and previous training on sexuality and intimacy. We asked open-ended questions and coded responses using content analysis. Participants with more education and previous exposure to training on sexuality and intimacy were more likely to hold open views on communication. Findings offer directions for addressing this neglected aspect of recovery.

Community Ment Health J
. 2022 Apr;58(3):444-453. doi: 10.1007/s10597-021-00838-1. Epub 2021 Jun 3.

English

https://doi.org/10.1007/s10597-021-00838-1