Abstract
BackgroundInformation on the association between bipolar disorder (BD), sexual satisfaction, sexual function, sexual distress and quality of life (QoL) is sparse. This study aims, in women with BD, to (i) investigate sexual dysfunction, sexual distress, general sexual satisfaction and QoL; (ii) explore whether sexual distress was related to affective symptoms and (iii) investigate whether QoL was associated with sexual distress. The study is a questionnaire survey in an outpatient cohort of women with BD using: Changes in Sexual Functioning Questionnaire, Female Sexual Distress Scale, Altman Self-Rating Mania Scale (ASRM), Major Depression Inventory (MDI) and The World Health Organisation Quality of Life-Brief.ResultsIn total, 61 women (age range 19–63, mean 33.7 years) were recruited. Overall, 54% reported sexual distress (n = 33) and 39% were not satisfied with their sexual life (n = 24). Women with BD were significantly more sexually distressed in comparison with Danish women from the background population but they did not have a higher prevalence of impaired sexual function. Better sexual function was positively associated with ASRM scores while MDI scores were associated with more distress. Finally, the group of non-sexually distressed women with BD reported higher QoL scores compared with the sexually distressed group.ConclusionsWomen with BD exhibited a high prevalence of sexual distress and their sexual function seemed associated with their actual mood symptoms and perception of QoL.
Highlights
Information on the association between bipolar disorder (BD), sexual satisfaction, sexual function, sexual distress and quality of life (QoL) is sparse
The aim of the present study was, in a cohort of women with BD, to (i) investigate sexual function, sexual distress, general sexual satisfaction and QoL; (ii) explore whether sexual distress was related to affective symptoms and (iii) investigate whether QoL was associated to sexual distress
The present study investigated sexual dysfunction, sexual distress, general sexual satisfaction and QoL in a cohort of women with BD and whether sexual distress was related to affective symptoms and QoL
Summary
Information on the association between bipolar disorder (BD), sexual satisfaction, sexual function, sexual distress and quality of life (QoL) is sparse. The study is a questionnaire survey in an outpatient cohort of women with BD using: Changes in Sexual Functioning Questionnaire, Female Sexual Distress Scale, Altman Self-Rating Mania Scale (ASRM), Major Depression Inventory (MDI) and The World Health Organisation Quality of Life-Brief. A Danish study (n = 4415) concluded that mental health problems and poor self-rated health problems were strongly associated with female sexual dysfunction (Christensen et al 2011b). Information on the association between bipolar disorder, quality of life, sexual satisfaction, sexual function and distress is sparse. It is well known that depression and antidepressants affect sexual function negatively (Clayton et al 2014), but only a few studies include women with BD. In an Italian study (Dell’Osso et al 2009) comparing 142 patients (60 with BD and 82 with unipolar depression) with 101 healthy controls, patients
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