Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40983664›Full record

ArticleSocial psychiatry and psychiatric epidemiology2026

Experiences relating to intimacy, romance, and sexuality in early psychosis.

Stephanie M Woolridge, Isabelle Hau, Emma Wilkinson, Chloe A Stewart, Savie Edirisinghe, Robert Aidelbaum, Michael W Best, Christopher R Bowie

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Article in Social psychiatry and psychiatric epidemiology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

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Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

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No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Stephanie M WoolridgeDepartment of Psychology, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada. s.woolridge@utoronto.ca.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1792-7075
Isabelle HauDepartment of Psychology, The University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada.
Emma WilkinsonDepartment of Psychology, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada.
Chloe A StewartDepartment of Psychology, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6065-1559
Savie EdirisingheDepartment of Psychology, Toronto Metropolitan University, Toronto, ON, Canada.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0004-6921-9235
Robert AidelbaumDepartment of Psychology, University of Toronto Scarborough, Scarborough, ON, Canada.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3693-7535
Michael W BestDepartment of Psychology, University of Toronto Scarborough, Scarborough, ON, Canada.
Christopher R BowieDepartment of Psychology, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1983-8861

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeMany individuals experiencing early psychosis identify intimacy, romance, and sexuality as components of their subjective recovery, yet can face illness-related barriers in forming and maintaining close relationships. As limited research has examined these barriers in depth, the present study explored specific differences across aspects of intimacy, romance, and sexuality between individuals with and without psychotic disorders.

methodsParticipants with early psychosis (N = 35) and community controls (N = 38) completed questionnaires relating to clinical symptoms, social integration (e.g., loneliness, belongingness), and sexual and romantic functioning, dissatisfaction, and related difficulties.

resultsIndividuals with early psychosis reported significantly more loneliness, attachment anxiety and avoidance, sexual dissatisfaction, sexual anxiety, and hypersexuality than control participants, as well as significantly lower belongingness, romantic relationship functioning, sexual self-esteem, and sexual optimism. Among individuals currently in a romantic relationship, groups did not differ in relationship satisfaction or investment. Groups also did not differ in sexual distress among individuals who had had sex within the past month. Finally, there were no group differences in sexual self-efficacy, preoccupation, self-blame, motivation, or self-schemata.

conclusionThese findings contribute to a sparse literature base regarding intimate, romantic, and sexual aspects of social functioning in psychosis. Future research should continue to explore the relationships between aspects of intimate, romantic, and sexual functioning and other facets of illness and recovery in early psychosis.

Indexed as

Interpersonal RelationsPsychotic DisordersSexual BehaviorSexualityAdultFemaleHumansLonelinessMalePersonal SatisfactionSelf ConceptSurveys and QuestionnairesYoung AdultEarly psychosis interventionRomantic relationshipsSchizophreniaSexual relationshipsSocial functioning

Identifiers

PMID40983664

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.