**The majority of studies citing a relationship between mental health problems, including substance and alcohol use, and number of sex partners are correlational in nature. As a result, it’s impossible to tell whether people seek sex partners in an effort to “self-medicate;” in other words to reduce the emotional pain they are experiencing, by seeking sexual connections with others, even if fleeting. The correlation-does-not-equal-causation problem in these studies also means that people with a high-risk lifestyle both seek sexual liaisons and substance use either because they have impulsive personalities or because they are anxious and depressed. The considered wisdom from such research, problematic as it was, led mental health experts to argue that in order to reduce the rates of risky sexual behavior, it’s necessary to treat the underlying psychological issues that lead individuals to these outlets for their unhappiness or personality styles.**
