New research has highlighted a link between how often people have sex and their psychological well-being.
According to recent findings, there appears to be an optimal number of times individuals should engage in sexual activity each week to promote better mental health.
In addition to spending time outdoors, maintaining an active lifestyle, eating nutritiously, and fostering meaningful relationships, sex has now been identified as another potential tool to boost mental wellness.
Physical activity doesn’t always have to come from the gym—sex can be a fun and intimate way to get moving, while also contributing to your mental health.
A team of researchers at Shantou University Medical College in China explored this connection further by analyzing data from 15,794 American adults between the ages of 20 and 59.
Their study, recently published, explains: “While the physical health benefits of sex are widely acknowledged, its influence on mental health hasn’t been thoroughly examined. We proposed that individuals reporting less frequent sex would show a higher likelihood of experiencing depression, based on their responses to the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9).”
So how often should someone be having sex to potentially ward off depressive symptoms? The study suggests that engaging in sexual activity once or twice per week is ideal.
This benefit was especially notable among participants in their twenties and early thirties, as reported by Mail Online.
The researchers believe that sex may help alleviate depressive symptoms due to the release of feel-good chemicals in the brain, such as dopamine and endorphins, during intercourse.
The paper concluded: “Engaging in sex one to two times weekly appears to offer the most significant mental health advantages and could be used as a benchmark when assessing and monitoring emotional well-being during depression treatment.”
However, the authors also noted that additional studies are necessary to understand whether sexual frequency directly influences mental health, or if other factors are involved.
Professor Mutong Chen, one of the study’s co-authors, elaborated: “No matter one’s sexual orientation, being sexually active can enhance both emotional well-being and life satisfaction, which are important for mental health.”
While regular sex can be beneficial, it’s common for couples to experience a decline in intimacy over time.
There are several reasons why men may lose interest in sex, according to sex and relationship expert Tracey Cox. These include erectile dysfunction, poor self-image, emotional challenges such as stress or depression, low libido, and unresolved trauma.
For women, a reduced interest in sex is often attributed to hormonal shifts, strained relationships, or underlying health issues, as reported by Associates in Women’s Healthcare.