Sexual Dysfunction Associated with the Drug Treatment of Psychiatric Disorders

Abstract

Adverse sexual effects of psychiatric medication can cause considerable distress to patients and so lead to noncompliance. Despite the clinical importance of psychotropic-induced sexual dysfunction, there is relatively little systematic research on its incidence and treatment. Investigation is complicated by the fact that sexual dysfunction may predate the onset of medication or may be secondary to the presenting illness. In addition, objective measures of sexual dysfunction have been difficult to construct. Few studies have attempted to combine phenomenological and physiological measures of sexual dysfunction.