Natacha Godbout

Université du Québec à Montréal | UQAM · Department of Sexology

Childhood sexual abuse (CSA) is likely to have impacts on adult survivors' sexuality, particularly on their sexual self-concept. However, little is known about how survivors cope with CSA-related sexual impacts, including sexual self-concept impairments. Thus, this study aimed to examine the interplay between sexual self-concept and coping strategi...

Parenthood is often related to a decrease of sexual satisfaction within couples (Maas et al., 2018), as this period brings a multitude of new stressors. Studies revealed that sexual satisfaction is an important factor for the cohesion of the couple and relationship satisfaction (Impett et al., 2014), that in turn may affect couples’ child well-bein...

Childhood exposure to interparental conflict (CEIC) is associated with a reduced ability to positively resolve conflicts in adult romantic relationships. This may be especially true during parenthood, a time when there may be more conflicts between parents. However, the mechanisms involved in the intergenerational transmission of conflict managemen...

Purpose Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a problematic and important social phenomenon (World Health Organization [WHO], 2021) that has been repeatedly linked to attachment insecurities (Velotti et al., 2020). However, the mechanisms linking these two variables remain understudied. This study examines the direct and indirect associations between...

Background: To better understand sexual satisfaction in emerging adults, previous research has emphasized the importance of considering the role of developmental experiences, such as cu- mulative childhood trauma (CCT; the number of different forms of abuse and neglect sustained during childhood). However, the mechanisms by which CCT and sexual sat...

Dating violence during adolescence is a major public health issue: it is highly prevalent and extensive research has documented its physical and psychological consequences, yet very little has focused on its sexual consequences. The present study investigated the longitudinal associations between dating violence victimization (psychological, sexual...

Childhood sexual abuse (CSA) is an endemic problem affecting nearly one in five girls worldwide. Empirical literature recognizes CSA as an important risk factor for later revictimization within intimate relationships, especially among female survivors. Such revictimization constitutes a serious issue that deserves to be understood through the eyes...

Past research has emphasized the need to identify profiles of men who perpetrate intimate partner violence (IPV) as a way to better understand this heterogeneous population and guide the development of tailored services. However, empirical validation for such profiles remains limited, since it still focuses on specific populations or fails to consi...

L'exposition aux conflits interparentaux à l’enfance (ECIE) est associée à une moindre capacité à résoudre positivement des désaccords dans les relations amoureuses à l'âge adulte, notamment durant la parentalité, période où les conflits entre les partenaires peuvent être plus nombreux. Cependant, les mécanismes impliqués dans la transmission inter...

Objectives: Distress and associated health problems reported by Nunavik Inuit emanate from heterogeneous roots, including adverse childhood experiences. This study aims to (1) identify distinct childhood adversity profiles and (2) examine associations between these profiles and sex, socioeconomic characteristics, social support, and community invo...

La transition parentale est reconnue comme un stade développemental critique au sein de la relation de couple et s'accompagne de changements majeurs susceptibles d'influencer la satisfaction relationnelle des coparents. Cet article présente des pistes pour l'accompagnement des couples qui consultent pour des difficultés reliées à cette période de t...

Sexual dysfunctions (SD; e.g., female sexual interest/arousal disorder, erectile disorder, female orgasmic disorder, delayed ejaculation, genito-pelvic pain/penetration disorder, etc.) affect up to a third of individuals, impairing sexuality, intimate relationships, and mental health. This study aimed to compare the prevalence of SDs and their sexu...

Présentation de vulgarisation scientifique Martel, N., Girard, M., Dussault, É., Hébert, M., Godbout, N. (2023). Être dans le moment présent pour vivre moins de détresse sexuelle. BistroBrain, Février 2023. Montréal, QC, CA.

Postpartum depression is the most commonly reported mental health issue among parents welcoming a new child, with long-term impacts on the well-being of their family. Survivors of childhood interpersonal trauma (CIT) appear to be more vulnerable with higher rates of postpartum depressive symptoms. Yet, study is needed on protective mechanism that c...

The purpose of this study was to validate the French-Canadian version of the Parental Stress Scale with a first sample of 473 parents and to confirm its factorial structure with a second sample of 378 parents from the Quebec community with an infant. Participants were asked to complete a questionnaire translated from English to French using the bac...

Objectives: Mindfulness has been conceptualized through five facets, the combination of which can yield different mindful-ness profiles. Impeded mindfulness has been linked to childhood interpersonal trauma (CIT) and relational difficulties in adulthood. Exploring profile distinctions on these outcomes is crucial to better understand each profile's...

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a complex and multifactorial public health problem associated with important physical and psychological repercussions. Recent studies suggest that cumulative childhood trauma (CCT) may be related to higher IPV perpetration through dysfunctional communication patterns, but to our knowledge, no study has tested this...

A growing body of research has revealed that many emerging adults (i.e., aged 18 to 25) experience sexual difficulties. Past studies have emphasized the need to examine sexual difficulties by accounting for sex motives (i.e., reasons for engaging in sex) and by using a trauma-focused or attachment-based framework. This study examined the role of se...

Martel, N., Girard, M., Dussault, É., Hébert, M., Godbout, N. (2022). Comment une faible estime de soi sexuelle et les dispositions à la présence attentive sont-elles liées à la détresse sexuelle chez les patient.e.s en thérapie sexuelle? [Communication orale]. Colloque étudiant du Réseau intersectoriel de recherche en santé de l’Université du Québ...

Martel, N., Dussault, É., Godbout, N. & Bérubé, F. (2022). Qu'est-ce qu'est l'intersectionnalité ? Unité de recherche et d’intervention sur le TRAuma et le CouplE, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada.

Martel, N., Dussault, É., Lafortune, D., Boislard, M.-A., Godbout, N., Philibert, M., et Goyette, M. (2022, octobre). Sexual health service seeking among Quebec adults living with a sexual dysfunction [Data Blitz]. Forum canadien de recherche sur la sexualité, Waterloo, ON, CA

Childhood sexual abuse (CSA) is associated with long-lasting and pervasive impacts on survivors’ sexual health, particularly on their sexual satisfaction. Dispositional mindfulness has been found to be associated with greater sexual satisfaction among adult CSA survivors. However, the mechanisms involved in this association remain understudied. The...

Parenthood has often been associated with lower levels of relationship and sexual satisfaction. However, this effect has rarely been studied beyond transition to parenthood and/or in clinical samples and few studies have examined parenthood as a moderator between relationship satisfaction and sexual satisfaction. Therefore, the objective of this st...

Cumulative childhood maltreatment (CCM; cooccurrence of different types of maltreatment) is associated with negative effects on intimate relationships in adulthood (Godbout et al., 2017), and appears to particularly impede survivors’ ability to maintain healthy and nonviolent intimate relationships (Brassard et al., 2019). Relatedness, which is the...

This study examined the mediating role of emotions related to sexual violence in adulthood in the associations between social reactions to sexual violence disclosure and sexual outcomes. Self-reported data were collected from 324 women reporting sexual violence and path analyses were conducted among the 264 women (81.5%) who disclosed their most re...

This poster documents the approach coping strategies (i.e., aimed at dealing with the trauma and its aftermath) that survivors of childhood sexual abuse may mobilize in their sexuality. Together, these strategies appear to reflect survivors' willingness and readiness to be more authentic in their sexuality, which is essential to achieving a positiv...

Background: The birth of a child is a life-defining event which tends to widen the gap between parents' resources and the demands they face, generating parenting stress. In this regard, individuals who experienced childhood trauma, particularly cumulative childhood interpersonal trauma (CCIT), appear more vulnerable, with higher rates of parenting...

Objectives Buddha’s Four Noble Truths state that (1) life is full of suffering, (2) there is a cause of suffering, (3) it is possible to stop suffering, and (4) there is a path leading to the cessation of suffering. The current study aimed to explore how trauma-related suffering and mindfulness dispositions are experienced among survivors of childh...

Background: Sexual aversion (SA) is a chronic difficulty impacting sexual, relational and psychological wellbeing. Yet, there is a dearth of studies exploring its prevalence and associated factors. Aims: To estimate the prevalence of SA and examine its correlates among a community sample of Canadian adults. Methods: A large web-based sample of th...

An attachment injury can occur when one partner violates the assumption that they will provide comfort and caring during a moment of increased need. For injured partners, unresolved attachment injuries can underlie an enduring stress reaction and lower relationship satisfaction. However, no research has examined the associations between the perceiv...

The current mixed-method study aimed to 1) identify different childhood interpersonal trauma (CIT) and dispositional mindfulness (DM) profiles in an adult sample; 2) illustrate these profiles with qualitative data documenting childhood sexual abuse (CSA) and CIT survivors’ perceptions of their own DM; and 3) examine profile differences on sexual an...

This study focused on sexual aversion (SA) – namely the experience of fear, disgust, and avoidance when exposed to sexual contexts or cues – and aimed to validate a virtual environment’s ability to progressively trigger the typical emotional responses of SA. Thirty-nine participants (16 low-SA and 23 high-SA individuals) were immersed in a virtual...

Background The diagnosis of complex post-traumatic stress disorder (CPTSD) was recently included into the 11th edition of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11). Recognizing the need for a brief and specific measure CPTSD symptoms as defined by the ICD-11, Cloitre and her team (2018) developed the original English version of the Inte...

Lebeau, R., Brassard, A, Deslauriers, J.-M., Martel, N., et Godbout, N. (2022, mai). Traumas interpersonnels en enfance, dysrégulation émotionnelle et violence conjugale : Rôle de la socialisation masculine [Présentation infographique]. 2e Colloque relations interpersonnelles : sexualité et parentalité du Centre de recherche interdisciplinaire sur...

Martel, N., Dussault, É., Boislard, M.-A., Godbout, N., Philibert, M., Goyette, M., et Lafortune, D. (2022, mai). Recherche de services en santé sexuelle d’adultes vivant avec une dysfonction sexuelle [affiche]. 2e Colloque relations interpersonnelles : sexualité et parentalité du Centre de recherche interdisciplinaire sur les problèmes conjugaux e...

Marcoux, L., Martel, N., Girard, M., Vaillancourt Morel, MP., Hébert, M., Fernet, M., et Godbout, N. (2022, mai). Trauma interpersonnel cumulatif en enfance et difficultés sexuelles chez les survivant.e.s consultant en thérapie sexuelle [affiche]. 2e Colloque relations interpersonnelles : sexualité et parentalité du Centre de recherche interdiscipl...

Introduction: Cumulative childhood interpersonal traumas (CCIT; cooccurrence of different types of traumas) is associated with negative effects on intimate relationships in adulthood (Godbout et al., 2017), and appears to particularly impede survivors’ ability to develop and maintain a non-violent intimate relationship (Brassard et al., 2019). Thro...

Les études montrent que les personnes ayant subi un trauma interpersonnel pendant l'enfance (ex. : abus sexuel, négligence, violence psychologique) ont tendance à rapporter moins de satisfaction sexuelle. Représentations négatives de soi comme étant indigne d'amour, peur d'être abandonné.e ou rejeté.e par son partenaire. Perception négative des aut...

Despite an increase in research initiatives and prevention campaigns, intimate partner violence (IPV) remains a public health problem that affects many victims worldwide. The current study aims to examine whether psychological distress symptoms (anger, depression, and anxiety) are indirectly related to the perpetration of IPV (physical assault, psy...

Despite an increase in research initiatives and prevention campaigns, intimate partner violence (IPV) remains a public health problem that affects many victims worldwide. The current study aims to examine whether psychological distress symptoms (anger, depression, and anxiety) are indirectly related to the perpetration of IPV (physical assault, psy...

Childhood sexual abuse (CSA) and intimate partner violence (IPV) have both been associated with numerous negative repercussions. The first aim of this study is to understand IPV perpetrated by men within a clinical population, by examining the effects of two potential predictors: CSA and dyadic empathy (cognitive and emotional). The second aim of t...

Childhood sexual abuse (CSA) and intimate partner violence (IPV) have both been associated with numerous negative repercussions. The first aim of this study is to understand IPV perpetrated by men within a clinical population, by examining the effects of two potential predictors: CSA and dyadic empathy (cognitive and emotional). The second aim of t...

Sexual fantasies represent a vast and highly personal dimension of human sexuality that remains understudied empirically. This article used a person-oriented approach to examine the reactions of arousal and discomfort that individuals experienced in response to four proposed fantasy scenarios depicting themes of romance, power dynamics (i.e., submi...

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 psychos...

This study examines the intermediary role of three variables (sexual mindfulness, sexual anxiety, and sexual self-esteem) in a path analysis model to explain the association between insecure attachment and sexual satisfaction. A community sample of 543 adults completed an online survey. Results supported our hypothesized integrative model, which ex...

Objectives Although dating violence has been recognized as a major public health issue considering its high prevalence and deleterious consequences, little research has been conducted on the potential mechanisms through which dating violence is associated with negative psychological outcomes. The aim of this study was to test the mediational effect...

L'agression sexuelle à l'enfance (ASE) est susceptible d’engendrer des impacts à long terme sur la santé sexuelle des survivants, en particulier sur la satisfaction sexuelle. La présence attentive (mindfulness) a été associée à une plus grande satisfaction sexuelle chez les adultes survivant.e.s d’ASE. Cependant, les mécanismes impliqués dans cette...

Datablitz Les traumas interpersonnels cumulatifs en enfance (TICE; cooccurrence de différents types de trauma interpersonnels) peuvent négativement influencer les relations intimes à l’âge adulte (Godbout et al., 2017). Les TICE sont associés à une fréquence plus élevée d’expérience de revictimisation en contexte de relation intimes chez les femmes...

Dans cet article, nous proposons de discuter la manière dont le trauma complexe peut offrir un cadre conceptuel guidant l’intervention auprès des enfants et adolescents ayant de multiples besoins. L’article débute par une présentation du trauma complexe, de même que des liens entre le trauma complexe, la santé mentale et le fonctionnement psycholog...

La recension des écrits scientifiques démontre que les hommes abusés sexuellement à l’enfance et à l’adolescence (HASE) doivent composer avec des impacts négatifs qui se répercutent tout au long de leur vie adulte. Ces impacts peuvent être multiples (p. ex., détresse psychologique sévère, estime de soi pauvre, difficultés relationnelles) et ne sont...

The diagnosis of complex posttraumatic stress disorder (CPTSD) was included in the ICD-11 in 2018. Debates are still ongoing in the scientific community regarding the conceptual distinction between CPTSD symptoms and those of comorbid PTSD and borderline personality disorder (BPD). The present study aimed to determine whether (a) patterns of sympto...

The disclosure of child sexual abuse (CSA) is a complex process that remains partially understood, despite its crucial role in survivors’ recovery. Gender specific experiences of disclosure have been little investigated while this information is crucial to better tailor interventions for survivors. This qualitative study aims to 1) explore survivor...

Being in a satisfying romantic relationship in adolescence is associated to many short- and long-term benefits. However, more research is needed to better understand what promotes relationship satisfaction in adolescence. To address this gap, this study used a diary approach to examine the relation between disagreements and daily variations in adol...

The use of subtle strategies to have sex with an unwilling partner is harmful to a couple’s sexual well-being but these strategies remain understudied. This research examined the mediating role of communication patterns in the associations between attachment insecurities and sustained sexual coercion in 145 same- and cross-gender couples, and the m...

Childhood maltreatment is associated with negative effects that can influence later intimate relationships (Godbout et al., 2017). Cumulative childhood interpersonal traumas (CCIT; cooccurrence of different types of traumas) may particularly impede survivors’ ability to develop and maintain a non-violent intimate relationship (Brassard et al., 2019...

Child sexual abuse (CSA) is a trauma associated with long-term consequences. Notably, survivors are more prone to develop traumatic relational and sexual responses in adulthood. The multiple sequelae associated with CSA prompted researchers to study how survivors cope with these negative experiences. Existing qualitative studies have identified rec...

A strong understanding of sexual victimization (childhood sexual abuse, sexual assault, revictimization), their effects and correlates is an essential foundation toward well-tailored interventions for survivors. While victimization is related to sexual functioning (Bigras et al., 2015; 2017), not all survivors present difficulties and the mechanism...

Practitioners working with male perpetrators of intimate partner violence (IPV) observe high rates of treatment dropout in their clientele, which can undermine their ability to reduce the occurrence of IPV. Studies have also mostly documented predictors of dropout from group-format IPV treatment programs, but not from individual-format treatment mo...

The aim of the present study was to examine the hypothesis that attachment and childhood sexual abuse (CSA) interacted such that school aged CSA survivors with insecure attachment to parents would be at an elevated risk of developing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and trauma symptoms. Participants (n = 111, ages 7–12) comprised two groups, c...

For several decades, attempts have been made to understand the risk markers of intimate partner violence (IPV) to prevent its occurrence, but few studies have emphasized both partners' perspective in examining these markers. This study explored the associations between attachment insecurity (anxiety and avoidance) and the perpetration of psychologi...

The birth of a new child is a life-defining event, which tends to dramatically widen the gap between parents’ personal resources and the demands they face, generating parental stress. In this regard, survivors of childhood trauma, particularly cumulative childhood trauma (CCT), appear to be more vulnerable and report higher rates of parental stress...

L’expérience d’agression sexuelle dans l’enfance (ASE) ou de violence familiale augmenterait la probabilité d’émettre des gestes de violence conjugale à l’âge adulte (Fang & Corso, 2008; Jose & O’Leary, 2009). Or, il s’avère crucial de comprendre les mécanismes explicatifs de ces liens. La capacité à être empathique est examinée dans cette étude, e...

Les quatre nobles vérités du Bouddha énoncent que 1) la vie est remplie de souffrance, 2) il y a une cause à la souffrance, 3) il est possible de faire cesser la souffrance et 4) il y a une trajectoire menant à la cessation de la souffrance. Ces dernières sont liées de près à la conceptualisation de l’expérience des traumas, ainsi qu’à la présence...

Au sein de toutes interactions sociales se trouve une dynamique de pouvoir (Reis et al., 2000), mais qu’en est-il lorsqu’il s’agit d’une relation de couple, considérant le caractère particulièrement intime de cette relation (Simpson et al., 2015) ? Les études recensées se sont davantage intéressées à documenter les dynamiques relationnelles et leur...

La réalité virtuelle (RV) est utilisée pour évaluer et traiter efficacement plusieurs troubles mentaux (ex:troubles anxieuxoualimentaires; Freeman et al., 2017). Or, la prise en charge des difficultés sexuelles par la RV demeure un domaine de recherche peu exploré(Lafortune et al., 2020). Cette étude porte sur l’aversion sexuelle (AS) –soit l’expér...

Un nombre croissant d’études suggèrent que les traumas cumulatifs (TC) affectent négativement les relations amoureuses à l’âge adulte (Peterson, 2018). Cependant, les facteurs qui atténuent la relation entre les TC et la satisfaction conjugale sont méconnus. La sécurité d’attachement (Mikulincer et Shaver, 2003) constitue l’un des facteurs suscepti...

La présence attentive (PA) est typiquement mesurée selon cinq dimensions (observation,description, agir avec conscience, non-réactivité, non-jugement) qui ont été utilisées pourcréer des profils et représenter son hétérogénéité (p.ex., Ford et al., 2020). La majorité desétudes ont permis d’identifier quatre principaux profils de PA : profil avec PA...

Objectives: Although most of the literature on physical dating violence (physical DV) focuses on victimization among girls, boys are also at risk. This study aims to document the experiences of boys who underwent physical violence in their romantic relationships. Method: In the Parcours Amoureux des Jeunes Survey, 1,701 boys reported having had a r...

Introduction: A growing body of evidence supports the relationship between insecure attachment and sexual dissatisfaction (e.g., Gewirtz-Maydan & Finzi-Dottan, 2018; Mark et al., 2018; Péloquin et al., 2014). Yet, it remains unclear which psychosexual mechanisms explain this association. This study examines the role of three mediators (sexual mindf...

We conducted latent profile analyses on community (n = 1663) and clinical (n = 575) samples to determine whether continuous scores of attachment anxiety and avoidance would lead to the identification of theoretically consistent and clinically useful profiles. We then compared these profiles according to gender, relationship status, psychological di...

Although sexual anxiety (SA) is associated with significant sexual and relationship difficulties, to date, we lack brief scales to adequately assess SA. The aim of the present study was to develop a brief and reliable French version of the Sexual Anxiety Scale (SAS) that can be used to screen the manifestations of SA and their severity. A community...

Background The way people process trauma and adverse relationships may be more predictive of subsequent adaptation than trauma exposure in itself. However, there is currently no self-report instrument assessing failures in the mentalization of trauma and adverse relationships. Objective We developed the Failure to Mentalize Trauma Questionnaire (F...

Although sexual anxiety (SA) is associated with significant sexual and relationship difficulties, to date, we lack brief scales to adequately assess SA. The aim of the present study was to develop a brief and reliable French version of the Sexual Anxiety Scale (SAS; Fallis et al., 2011) that can be used to screen the manifestations of SA and their...

The current study examined the mediating role of affect dysregulation, maladaptive personality traits, and negative urgency in the association between childhood cumulative trauma (CCT) and psychological intimate partner violence (IPV). A total of 241 men and women from the general population answered self-report questionnaires assessing these varia...

Objectives A substantive body of quantitative literature found links between mindfulness interventions or dispositional mindfulness and increased relationality and/or sexuality. However, there needs to be a better understanding of the contexts in which the links between mindfulness and relationality/sexuality may occur, which qualitative studies ma...

Au sein de chaque interaction sociale, l’être humain est impliqué dans une dynamique de pouvoir (Reis, Collins et Berscheid, 2000). Dans certains contextes, l’inégalité est évidente, voire normalisée (p. ex., employeur.e-employé.e), mais qu’en est-il lorsqu’il s’agit d’une relation de couple considérant le caractère intime impliqué ? La dynamique d...