Depression and sexual satisfaction among female medical students: surprising findings from a pilot study

We report surprising findings from a pilot study aimed at assessing the psychological price paid by female medical students who are also involved in serious romantic relationships. Sixty female medical students were assessed as to their depressive symptoms, level of self-criticism, sexual satisfaction, role commitment, and perceived rewards derived from their professional, marital, and domestic roles. The high levels of depressive symptoms found among participants in this study were the sole predictor of low sexual satisfaction. Professional role reward was positively associated with depressive symptoms. Consistent with the notion of multiple roles conflict among self-critical students, role commitment and reward in the professional and domestic domains interacted to predict depressive symptoms. Results suggest that female medical students involved in romantic relationships pay a high emotional price for their conflicting role demands.