Sexual dysfunction and marital adjustment in married men with alcohol dependence syndrome.

Abstract

Only a few studies have systematically assessed sexual dysfunction and marital adjustment in married men with alcohol dependence in India. To assess the prevalence and pattern of sexual dysfunction and marital adjustment in a clinical sample of married men with alcohol dependence. The association of sexual dysfunction and marital adjustment with the severity of alcohol dependence was also explored. This cross-sectional study included 100 consecutive married men attending psychiatry outpatient department (OPD) with a diagnosis of alcohol dependence syndrome (ADS). A pre-designed study proformawas used for collecting relevant socio-demographic and clinical details of the study participants. Sexual dysfunction, marital adjustment, and alcohol dependence were assessed using the following validated tools: the Arizona Sexual Experiences Scale (ASEX), the Marital Adjustment Questionnaire (MAQ), and the Severity of Alcohol Dependence Questionnaire (SADQ), respectively. Of 100 patients, about 15% had clinical sexual dysfunction based on ASEX. The most commonly reported sexual dysfunction was difficulty with erection (24.0%), followed by problems in desire (18.0%), sexual arousal (12.0%), ability to reach orgasm (12.0%), and satisfaction with orgasm (9.0%). Sexual dysfunction (ASEX score) showed significant positive correlation (rs = 0.345; P < 0.001) with alcohol dependence severity (SADQ score). Also, the severity of alcohol dependence was negatively correlated (rs = -0.240; P = 0.016) with the overall level of marital adjustment (MAQ score) with spouse. Sexual dysfunction is common in married men with ADS, with both sexual dysfunction intensity and marital adjustment difficulties being positively associated with the severity of alcohol dependence.