Investigation of depressive symptoms among male patients with erectile dysfunction

Abstract

Erectile dysfunction (ED) is one of the causes of depression. The presence of depression in patients with erectile dysfunction worsened the condition. We conducted a study among 60 men diagnosed with erectile dysfunction who had depression using the PHQ-9 scale to determine the prevalence and characteristics of depression. The mean age of the subjects was 39 ± 13.3 years old, where 31.7% were single. The participants’ average BMI was 23.1 ± 2.4 kg/m2 and average testosterone level was 17.5 ± 6.5 nmol/L. The rates of mild, moderate, and moderately severe depression of the study subjects were 68.3%, 25% and 6.7%, respectively. The most common and severe symptoms of depression were loss of interest, loss of energy, and depressed mood. We suggest that depression should be noticed and screened in patients with erectile dysfunction.