Prevalence of sexual dysfunction in patients with mental illness receiving psychotropic medication
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Date
2014-07
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Indian Psychiatric Society
Abstract
Background: The exact magnitude and phase of sexual function affected remains to be elucidated for most psychotropic drugs. So far little research has
been done into sexual dysfunctions that develop during the use of antipsychotics. Most clinically used psychotropics cause sexual side-effects, but the
nature, severity and frequency of these effects have not been systematically studied in Indian patients.
Aim: To evaluate the frequency of sexual dysfunction and its impact on treatment adherence in patients with mental illness treated with various
psychotropics under routine clinical conditions.
Methods: We assessed the participants’ sexual functioning using Psychotropic-Related Sexual Dysfunction (PRSexDQ) is a brief and relatively
nonintrusive questionnaire that has shown adequate psychometric properties in patients with mental disorder.
Results: It was found that the rate of sexual dysfunction in the study group varied across the scale. However, sexual dysfunction was highest in the
Antipsychotic group compared to others. Among the various domains of sexual dysfunction, decreased libido was the most common sexual dysfunction
in all groups. On the PRSexDQ, all patients had sexual dysfunction on more than 1 domain (n = 20) out of 45 subjects which is higher in anti-psychotic
group compared to the antidepressant group.
Conclusions: In order to keep patients symptomatically stable and to help alleviate these side effects, clinicians should alter the treatment strategy,
possibly by switching medications, to encourage adherence to the medication as well as optimize patients’ outcomes. Our results show that sexual
dysfunction is very common in patients receiving long-term treatment with antipsychotics, and it is associated with a great impact in a substantial
proportion of patients.
Key message: Because psychotropic-associated sexual dysfunction is considerably underestimated by physicians, greater recognition and education
are imperative when prescribing psychotropic treatment.
Description
Keywords
Patients With Mental Illness, Psychotropics, Sexual Dysfunction
Citation
Kandrakonda Srinivas, Jally Mayurnath Reddy, Reddy Sudha Rani Kesava, Miryala Girish. Prevalence of sexual dysfunction in patients with mental illness receiving psychotropic medication. Andhra Pradesh Journal of Psychological Medicine. 2014 Jul-Dec; 15(2): 235-239