Severe depression and relationships: the effect of mental illness on sexuality

Abstract

This paper sought to investigate how the sexuality of patients and their partners is affected by mental illness and their experience of needing support from psychiatric services. Qualitative, designed in-depth interviews of ten patients admitted to a psychiatric in-patient ward specialising in affective disorders and their partners was carried out and the data analysed by thematic analysis. The following domains emerged: aspects related to the patient him/herself; aspects in relation to medical care; aspects related to the partner him/herself; aspects in relationship to the partner; and aspects in relation to the psychiatric services. Both patients and partners described a feeling of abandonment in the absence of any support or treatment initiative from psychiatric services. They also expressed dissatisfaction with the patient therapist treatment method being focused on one to one therapy leaving their partners feeling excluded and overlooking the partners in having a more interactive role in the treatment process. Our findings highlight the complex nature of dysfunctional sexuality, involving not only the patients who suffer from severe mental illness but their partners as well. Psychiatric services appear to lack methods of support relating to sexuality and long-term relationships.