View in EDS

A longitudinal network analysis of pain, psychological processes and psychological and sexual distress in women with endometriosis.

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Title: A longitudinal network analysis of pain, psychological processes and psychological and sexual distress in women with endometriosis.
Authors: Carvalho, Sérgio A. (AUTHOR), Patafio, Brittany (AUTHOR), Pascoal, Patrícia M. (AUTHOR), Lapa, Teresa (AUTHOR), Skvarc, David (AUTHOR)
Source: British Journal of Health Psychology. May2026, Vol. 31 Issue 2, p1-23. 23p.
Subjects: Endometriosis, Psychological distress, Emotions, Sexual dysfunction, Suffering, Time-varying networks, Longitudinal method
Abstract: Objectives: Previous studies in endometriosis have linked the experience and impact of pain to psychological distress and sexual dysfunction. However, little is known about how these factors interact over time or how underlying cognitive‐emotional processes contribute to their complex interconnections. Design: This study followed a Longitudinal Network Approach and explored the interconnections over time between pain (intensity and impact), psychopathological symptoms, sexual distress, and cognitive‐emotional processes (cognitive fusion and difficulties in emotion regulation) in adult women with endometriosis. Methods: Data was collected in a sample composed of N = 210 Portuguese cisgender women with endometriosis in a three‐wave online assessment spanning 12 months. Results: Using multilevel vector autoregressive network analysis, results showed significant temporal pathways in which pain intensity and pain impact predicted future increases in cognitive fusion, depression, and somatization, indicating a directional cascading effect of physical symptoms on psychological processes. Higher sexual distress over time was associated with decreases in cognitive fusion. Results also found strong positive associations among pain, anxiety, depression, and somatization at each time point, as well as between‐subjects asymmetrical relationships, with anxiety and somatization more strongly predicting sexual distress than the reverse. Conclusions: Overall, these findings highlight the importance of targeting transdiagnostic cognitive‐emotional processes in interventions to improve pain, mental health, and sexual outcomes in women with endometriosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Copyright of British Journal of Health Psychology is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
Database: Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection
FullText Text:
  Availability: 0
Header DbId: pbh
DbLabel: Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection
An: 194051806
AccessLevel: 6
PubType: Academic Journal
PubTypeId: academicJournal
PreciseRelevancyScore: 0
IllustrationInfo
Items – Name: Title
  Label: Title
  Group: Ti
  Data: A longitudinal network analysis of pain, psychological processes and psychological and sexual distress in women with endometriosis.
– Name: Author
  Label: Authors
  Group: Au
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Carvalho%2C+Sérgio+A%2E%22">Carvalho, Sérgio A.</searchLink> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Patafio%2C+Brittany%22">Patafio, Brittany</searchLink> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Pascoal%2C+Patrícia+M%2E%22">Pascoal, Patrícia M.</searchLink> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Lapa%2C+Teresa%22">Lapa, Teresa</searchLink> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Skvarc%2C+David%22">Skvarc, David</searchLink> (AUTHOR)
– Name: TitleSource
  Label: Source
  Group: Src
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22British+Journal+of+Health+Psychology%22">British Journal of Health Psychology</searchLink>. May2026, Vol. 31 Issue 2, p1-23. 23p.
– Name: Subject
  Label: Subjects
  Group: Su
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Endometriosis%22">Endometriosis</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Psychological+distress%22">Psychological distress</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Emotions%22">Emotions</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Sexual+dysfunction%22">Sexual dysfunction</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Suffering%22">Suffering</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Time-varying+networks%22">Time-varying networks</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Longitudinal+method%22">Longitudinal method</searchLink>
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: Objectives: Previous studies in endometriosis have linked the experience and impact of pain to psychological distress and sexual dysfunction. However, little is known about how these factors interact over time or how underlying cognitive‐emotional processes contribute to their complex interconnections. Design: This study followed a Longitudinal Network Approach and explored the interconnections over time between pain (intensity and impact), psychopathological symptoms, sexual distress, and cognitive‐emotional processes (cognitive fusion and difficulties in emotion regulation) in adult women with endometriosis. Methods: Data was collected in a sample composed of N = 210 Portuguese cisgender women with endometriosis in a three‐wave online assessment spanning 12 months. Results: Using multilevel vector autoregressive network analysis, results showed significant temporal pathways in which pain intensity and pain impact predicted future increases in cognitive fusion, depression, and somatization, indicating a directional cascading effect of physical symptoms on psychological processes. Higher sexual distress over time was associated with decreases in cognitive fusion. Results also found strong positive associations among pain, anxiety, depression, and somatization at each time point, as well as between‐subjects asymmetrical relationships, with anxiety and somatization more strongly predicting sexual distress than the reverse. Conclusions: Overall, these findings highlight the importance of targeting transdiagnostic cognitive‐emotional processes in interventions to improve pain, mental health, and sexual outcomes in women with endometriosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
– Name: AbstractSuppliedCopyright
  Label:
  Group: Ab
  Data: <i>Copyright of British Journal of Health Psychology is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
PLink https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=pbh&AN=194051806
RecordInfo BibRecord:
  BibEntity:
    Identifiers:
      – Type: doi
        Value: 10.1111/bjhp.70071
    Languages:
      – Code: eng
        Text: English
    PhysicalDescription:
      Pagination:
        PageCount: 23
        StartPage: 1
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Endometriosis
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Psychological distress
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Emotions
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Sexual dysfunction
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Suffering
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Time-varying networks
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Longitudinal method
        Type: general
    Titles:
      – TitleFull: A longitudinal network analysis of pain, psychological processes and psychological and sexual distress in women with endometriosis.
        Type: main
  BibRelationships:
    HasContributorRelationships:
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Carvalho, Sérgio A.
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Patafio, Brittany
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Pascoal, Patrícia M.
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Lapa, Teresa
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Skvarc, David
    IsPartOfRelationships:
      – BibEntity:
          Dates:
            – D: 01
              M: 05
              Text: May2026
              Type: published
              Y: 2026
          Identifiers:
            – Type: issn-print
              Value: 1359107X
          Numbering:
            – Type: volume
              Value: 31
            – Type: issue
              Value: 2
          Titles:
            – TitleFull: British Journal of Health Psychology
              Type: main
ResultId 1