Decoding Hypersexuality: A Latent Profile Approach to Attachment, Self-Criticism, and Personality Disorders

Hypersexuality is defined by the presence of excessive sexualfantasies, urges, and behaviors. Several authors suggest thatextensive use of sexuality might represent a coping strategy fornegative affect, in the context of emotion regulation difficultiesand insecure attachment styles. The current study focuses onidentifying different profiles, based on attachment dimensionsand on the tendency to use sexual activity as a coping mecha-nism, examining differences in self-criticism and pathologicalpersonality traits. A total of 562 participants from the generalItalian population, with an average age of 30.81 years (SD =12.54), completed the self-report questionnaires: HypersexualBehavior Inventory, Attachment Style Questionnaire, PersonalityInventory for DSM-5 Short Form, and Forms of Self-Criticizing/Attacking and Self-Reassuring Scale. Latent profile analysis andmultivariate analyses of variance between profiles were per-formed. Three profiles, Secure without Sexual Coping, Insecure with Sexual Coping and Insecure without Sexual Coping, were identified, based on scores on the sex use subscale and in the insecure attachment dimensions. Significant differences emerged between the profiles: the Insecure with Sexual Coping profile was characterized by the highest levels in the Antagonism and Disinhibition domains of pathological personality, while the Insecure without Sexual Coping showed the highest levels in the dimensions of Inadequate Self, Reassured Self, and Negative Affect.