Sexual functions and marital adjustment among persons with alcohol use disorder

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Background: Relationship between sexual functioning and marital adjustment has been widely studied; further, the alcohol use has been found to be an important factor in the marital adjustment, but these variables are not much researched together. Aim: The aim of the study is to examine the sexual functions and marital adjustment among persons with alcohol use disorder. Setting and Design: The current study was carried out at the department of psychiatry in a tertiary care hospital of North India, which followed the cross-sectional, single-assessment exploratory study design. Materials and Methods: A total number of 50 male patients with alcohol use disorder and their spouses from the de-addiction clinic of the outpatient services of the department of psychiatry were recruited. Patients who were in the age range of 25–50 years, married for at least 1 year, and came in contact for the first time for treatment for alcohol use disorder were included. Patients having diagnosable comorbid major psychiatric disorder which requires immediate pharmacological treatment, having any medical or neurological comorbid illness that can lead to sexual dysfunction, and/or on any medication which is known for affecting sexual functioning and severe withdrawal or intoxicated at the time of assessment were excluded from the study. Patients were assessed using Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-5 Diagnostic Criteria for sexual dysfunctions and severity of alcohol dependence questionnaire for assessing the severity of alcohol dependence, while participants and their spouses were assessed on marital adjustment questionnaire for measuring marital adjustment among them. Results and Conclusion: Fifty-four percent of the patients with alcohol use disorder had sexual dysfunctions. The prevalence of premature ejaculation was the most, followed by decline in sexual desire or hypoactive sexual disorder and then erectile dysfunction; majority of them had more than one sexual dysfunction. No significant difference was found in the marital adjustment between the couples with and without sexual dysfunctions. There was no correlation between marital adjustment and alcohol dependence severity found in the present study.