Investigating sex guilt and life satisfaction in Iranian-American women: Implications for mental healt

The present study investigated the relationship between sexual self-schema, acculturation and sex guilt, and it further examined the association between sex guilt and life satisfaction in Iranian American women. Sixty-five participants completed five self-administered questionnaires. Findings indicate a significant inverse correlation between sexual self-schema and sex guilt. Results demonstrate that high sex guilt is associated with decreased life satisfaction. Results further reveal considerably higher levels of sex guilt among Iranian American Muslim women, when compared to Iranian American women of other religious affiliations. Additionally, Iranian American Muslim women appear to be significantly less acculturated to Western ideals, when compared to other religious groups. Analyses for mediation effects support low sex guilt as a partially mediating variable between positive sexual self-schema and increased life satisfaction. Implications for mental health and the Iranian American client are discussed.