Official websites use. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. Correspondence: engel. Problems arising from hypersexual behavior are often seen in clinical settings. We aimed to extend the knowledge about the clinical characteristics of individuals with hypersexual disorder HD. We investigated differences in sociodemographic, neurodevelopmental, and family factors based on self-report questionnaires and clinical interviews. Men with HD reported elevated rates of sexual activity, paraphilias, consumption of child abusive images, and sexual coercive behavior compared to healthy controls.
Moreover, rates of affective disorders, attachment difficulties, impulsivity, and dysfunctional emotion regulation strategies were higher in men with HD. Men with HD seem to have experienced various forms of adverse childhood experiences, but there were no further differences in sociodemographic, neurodevelopmental factors, and family factors. Regression analyses indicated that attachment-related avoidance and early onset of masturbation differentiated between men with HD and healthy controls.
In conclusion, men with HD appear to have the same neurodevelopment, intelligence levels, sociodemographic background, and family factors compared to healthy controls, but they report different and adverse experiences in childhood, problematic sexual behavior, and psychological difficulties.
Keywords: hypersexuality, sexual addiction, sexual compulsivity, phenomenology, comorbidities. Hypersexual disorder HD is characterized by intense, repetitive sexual fantasies, urges, and behaviors that lead to clinically significant psychological impairment [ 1 , 2 , 3 ].
Kafka [ 3 ] proposed that hypersexual disorder should be included as a category in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition DSM-5 [ 4 ], but the proposal was ultimately rejected. One of the reasons given was the lack of experimental research on hypersexual disorder [ 5 , 6 ].
