You Just Don’t Get It: The Role of Perceived Partner Responsiveness in the Link Between Cumulative Childhood Interpersonal Trauma and Postpartum Sexual Satisfaction

After childbirth, couples often experience a decline in sexual satisfaction, with interpersonal trauma survivors being particularly vulnerable. In fact, increasing evidence links cumulative childhood interpersonal trauma (CCIT) with reduced sexual well-being in adulthood. However, little is known about the influence of CCIT on postpartum sexual satisfaction and the underlying mechanisms, while childbirth is a stressful period that may reactivate traumatic memories and disrupt intimacy. Perceived partner responsiveness could serve as an explanatory mechanism, as it has been associated with sexual satisfaction in CCIT survivors. Using a dyadic approach, this study aimed to examine the role of perceived partner responsiveness in the association between CCIT and postpartum sexual satisfaction in couples who recently welcomed a child. A randomly selected community sample of 473 Canadian parental couples completed online self-reported questionnaires assessing CCIT, perceived partner responsiveness, and sexual satisfaction. Path analyses guided by the Actor-Partner Interdependence Model revealed that CCIT was associated with lower sexual satisfaction through lower perceived partner responsiveness in both mothers and fathers. Moreover, significant dyadic indirect effects confirmed partners' interinfluences on outcomes. Results highlight the importance of targeting both partners' perceived partner responsiveness in interventions aiming to enhance postpartum sexual satisfaction among parents who have experienced CCIT.