Reciprocal associations between depressive symptoms and satisfaction with sexual life in older adults: the roles of gender and importance attached to sexuality.

Objectives: To gain insight into the longitudinal, reciprocal associations between depressive symptoms and sexual satisfaction as well as the potential moderating roles of gender and perceived importance of sexuality.

Method: We analyzed longitudinal data from 2113 participants of the Longitudinal Ageing Study Amsterdam (LASA) with an initial age range of 54-93 years, using Generalized Estimating Equations (GEE).

Results: There were no significant associations between baseline depressive symptoms and change in sexual satisfaction, nor between baseline sexual satisfaction and change in depressive symptoms. Gender and perceived importance of sexuality were moderators: in men higher depression scores were associated with a decrease in sexual satisfaction, whereas in women higher depression scores were associated with an increase in sexual satisfaction. In participants for whom sexual life was important, higher depression scores were associated with a decrease in sexual satisfaction. In participants for whom sexual life was not important, higher depression scores were associated with an increase in sexual satisfaction.

Conclusion: The associations between baseline depressive symptoms and change in sexual satisfaction as well as between baseline sexual satisfaction and change in depressive symptoms varied according to gender and importance ascribed to sexuality. Potential explanations might lie in the different roles sexual activity plays in sexual satisfaction in men and women.