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Journal article
The Lived Experiences and Well-Being of Female Partners Following Discovery or Disclosure of Their Male Partner's Compulsive Sexual Behaviours: An Australian Phenomenological Study
Sexuality Research and Social Policy, Vol.22, pp.1339-1366
2025
Appears in UniSC Supported Open Access Outputs
Abstract
IntroductionThere has been an upsurge of research articles in the last two decades about sexual addiction (SA) and compulsive sexual behaviour (CSB). In the literature, SA/CSB is mainly presented as comparable to other behavioural addictions and similarly involves a problematic consumption model: loss of control, psychosocial impairments, and risky sexual activities. Despite this recent rise in research interest in this area, only a small number of studies have focused on the partners' lived experiences and well-being.MethodsThis qualitative descriptive phenomenological investigation aimed to examine female partners' lived experiences and well-being following the discovery or disclosure of their male partners' SA/CSB. Individual in-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted (2020-2022) with primary participants (female partners; n = 12) and supplementary participants (counsellors; n = 15).ResultsThe analysis reveals that this group has encountered several detrimental consequences of CSB-associated betrayal trauma (BT), including but not limited to suicidal thoughts and self-harm, compulsive self-comparisons with other women, physical and behavioural difficulties, and diminished self-esteem.ConclusionsThis empirical research is the first study in Australia to examine the voices and experiences of female partners upon learning of their mates' CSBs. The findings contribute to the field of SA/CSB and enhance understanding of the multifarious consequences for the emotional, physical, sexual, spiritual and/or relational well-being of intimate female partners and their general outlook on life.Policy ImplicationsBased on the results, there are strong indications with implications for policy that this population requires validation and multifaceted support systems to better navigate the challenging, complex, and stressful processes of discovery/disclosure and subsequent recovery.ConclusionsThis empirical research is the first study in Australia to examine the voices and experiences of female partners upon learning of their mates' CSBs. The findings contribute to the field of SA/CSB and enhance understanding of the multifarious consequences for the emotional, physical, sexual, spiritual and/or relational well-being of intimate female partners and their general outlook on life.Policy ImplicationsBased on the results, there are strong indications with implications for policy that this population requires validation and multifaceted support systems to better navigate the challenging, complex, and stressful processes of discovery/disclosure and subsequent recovery.ConclusionsThis empirical research is the first study in Australia to examine the voices and experiences of female partners upon learning of their mates' CSBs. The findings contribute to the field of SA/CSB and enhance understanding of the multifarious consequences for the emotional, physical, sexual, spiritual and/or relational well-being of intimate female partners and their general outlook on life.Policy ImplicationsBased on the results, there are strong indications with implications for policy that this population requires validation and multifaceted support systems to better navigate the challenging, complex, and stressful processes of discovery/disclosure and subsequent recovery.
Details
- Title
- The Lived Experiences and Well-Being of Female Partners Following Discovery or Disclosure of Their Male Partner's Compulsive Sexual Behaviours: An Australian Phenomenological Study
- Authors
- Fakri Seyed Aghamiri - Alphacrucis CollegeJohannes M. Luetz (Corresponding Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, School of Law and SocietyKarenne Hills - Alphacrucis College
- Publication details
- Sexuality Research and Social Policy, Vol.22, pp.1339-1366
- Publisher
- Springer
- Date published
- 2025
- DOI
- 10.1007/s13178-024-01043-x
- ISSN
- 1553-6610; 1868-9884
- Copyright note
- This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article's Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article's Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.
- Data Availability
- The research data are not publicly available because participants were informed prior to in-depth interviews that their data would be stored securely and confidentially.
- Organisation Unit
- School of Law and Society
- Language
- English
- Record Identifier
- 991083398202621
- Output Type
- Journal article
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- Domestic collaboration
- Web Of Science research areas
- Social Sciences, Interdisciplinary
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