Crying and sadness after sexual intercourse: a qualitative study of postcoital dysphoria

Abstract

A phenomenon of postcoital dysphoria is the experience of negative affect after sexual intercourse, specifically speaking: tearfulness, a sense of melancholy or depression, anxiety, or aggression, which is hard to control or minimalize. The causes of this phenomenon are unknown. This article presents a content analysis of personal descriptions published on online forums from women suffering from postcoital dysphoria. The aims of the study are to determine the problem of this phenomenon in personal experiences, to exhibit if psychological description coincides with women’s descriptions, and to check how often women write on forums about their problem. The study was qualitative research: the content analysis of posts appearing on online forums. The study included six online forums related to mental health, relationship, and sexuality. All descriptions have been divided into three groups connected with emotions, behavior, and partner’s response. Due to the qualitative research, the most popular PCD symptoms are: crying and sobbing what might result from both positive and negative emotions. Based-on theory description of PCD symptoms does not coincide with personal experiences. Furthermore, the partner’s response is relevant for understanding and coping with sexual difficulties symptoms. The postcoital dysphoria causes remain multifactorial.