The Effect of Existential and Neurotic Anxiety Level on Sexual Life During the COVID-19 Lockdown Period

Background: Extraordinary situations such as pandemics are unexpected, sudden, and life-threatening, a period of uneasy feelings and thoughts. The anxiety experienced by the social distance measures and curfews applied during the COVID-19 can lead to deterioration in the quality of sexual functions and relationships.

Aim: This study aimed to examine the effects of existential anxiety and neurotic anxiety experiences on the sexual lives of individuals during the early stage of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods: The sample of the descriptive and cross-sectional study conducted with 412 married individuals aged 18 and over. Data were collected online using the Personal Information Form, Existential Anxiety Scale, State-Trait Anxiety Scale, and Golombok-Rust Sexual Satisfaction Scale between 01 April and 31 May 2020 analyzed through IBM SPSS Statistics 25 program.

Results: The mean age of the participants was 33.28 ± 6.72; 63.8% of the participants were women. During the days staying at home due to the COVID-19 pandemic, 13.3% of the participants stated a positive change in their sexual intercourse, and 20.4% had a negative change. It was observed that the Existential Anxiety Scale death anxiety, State-Trait Anxiety Scale, Golombok-Rust Sexual Satisfaction Scale communication, satisfaction, avoidance, touch, and total scores of women were statistically significantly higher than men. According to multiple linear regression analyzes, it was determined that freedom in women predicted communication and touch. Trait anxiety predicted all sexual intercourse qualities and functions except communication and vaginismus. In males, death anxiety predicted touch, impotence, and premature ejaculation, and continuous anxiety affected all areas of sexual intercourse except premature ejaculation.

Conclusion: In the process of curfews implemented within the scope of COVID-19 measures, it can be said that individuals experience moderate existential anxiety and neurotic anxiety, and sexual functions and relationship quality deteriorate due to these anxieties.