Validation of the French sexual mindfulness measure and its links with psychosexual well-being

Abstract

Limited instruments are available to assess sexual mindfulness (i.e., state of mindfulness during sexual interactions) and understand its links with psychosexual well-being. The aim of this study was to examine the reliability and validity of a French version of the Sexual Mindfulness Measure (SMM) (Leavitt et al., 2019) and its relation to psychosexual outcomes (e.g., body image, sexual com- munication). A confirmatory factor analysis was conducted with a community sample of 541 adults ( M age= 36.82, SD = 11.78). The factorial structure of the original English version of the SMM was replicated, and satisfactory internal consistency was found, sug- gesting that the French SMM can be considered a valid measure to capture sexual mindfulness in research and clinical settings. Results showed significant linear regressions with expected psychosexual outcomes, which suggests that increased sexual mind- fulness could improve psychosexual well-being. Lay summary : This study presents the validation of a questionnaire measuring sexual mindfulness - the level of awareness and nonjudgment during sexual interactions. Findings support the validity of the questionnaire to measure sexual mindfulness in clinical and research settings; it also suggests that sexual mindfulness may predict sexual higher self-esteem and body image, and lower anxiety towards sexual communication.