EVALUATION OF SEXUALITY AND ITS IMPACT ON 80 OUTPATIENTS FOLLOWED FOR A DEPRESSIVE DISORDER

Abstract

Sexual disorders are a major part of depression, making patient care difficult to manage by stopping antidepressants due to their unwanted sexual effects. We aim in this study to assess sexual function in patients with a major depressive disorder and study the sociodemographic, clinical, and sexual characteristics associated with sexual dysfunction, through a descriptive and analytical cross-sectional study involving 80 outpatients followed in a psychiatric hospital in Ibn RochdUniversity Hospital and having been evaluated through the Female Sexual Function Index (for sexual function) scale and the Hamilton Depression Scale (for the severity of depression).The mean age was 37.1 years with extremes ranging from 18 to 58 years. The majority of women were aged between 29 and 39 years old, having a level of secondary education 53% and 47.5% with average socio-economic conditions. The depression was of medium intensity for most patients (50%), with an average duration of 5.8 months. Marital discord was reported by 48,7% of patients. No patient reported any sexual dysfunction in her partner. Sexual function was impaired in 60% of patients. Sexual desire is the most impaired phase in our patients 77,5%, followed by orgasm disorder among 60% of patients, then sexual dissatisfaction in 53.33% of patients. We found that the alteration of the overall sexual function and other phases were significantly correlated with the severity and duration of the depressive episode but not with the existence of marital discord.Satisfaction with sexual life is an important factor affecting the quality of life. Patients rarely deal with problems in sexual life, so questions about this area of life should not be overlooked during a medical and psychiatric interview.