Erectile dysfunction, depression, and pharmacological treatments: biologic interactions

Abstract

Sexual dysfunctions are common, in general, and especially prevalent among patients with psychiatric disorders. Male sexual dysfunction is associated with a range of imputed neurobiological, medical, psychological and interpersonal causes, and can have a significant impact on interpersonal functioning and quality of life. Moreover, the interaction between co-morbid sexual and psychiatric disorders has clinical implications for diagnosis, course, and treatment of both conditions. In recent years, there has been significant progress in the basic research and clinical therapeutics of male sexual dysfunction, with major advances in our understanding of the mechanisms of sexual response and the effects of pharmacologic agents on erectile function and orgasm. Here, we will briefly review the psychobiology of male sexual function and dysfunction, and describe diagnostic and therapeutic approaches; and then we will consider the interaction between erectile dysfunction and depression, with a focus on pharmacological treatments.