The impact of Peyronie's disease on Portuguese men's mental health and sexual functioning

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of Peyronie's disease (PD) on Portuguese men's mental health and sexual functioning. Materials and Methods: Study participants included 103 men diagnosed with PD who had attended urology appointments at two hospitals in Portugal. The participants' average age was 34.38 years old (SD = 13.77). The study utilized a variety of measurement instruments, encompassing a sociodemographic questionnaire, the Portuguese version of the Brief Symptoms Inventory-18, the Portuguese version of the Massachusetts General Hospital-Sexual Functioning Questionnaire, and a Questionnaire measuring PD concerns. Results: Overall results showed that the men surveyed presented higher levels of mental health symptoms (somatization, depression, and anxiety) and lower levels of sexual functioning than the community sample (the general Portuguese population without clinical disorders). Correlation coefficients showed a strong and positive correlation between mental health symptoms and a loss of sexual confidence and stress, while finding a strong and negative correlation between sexual functioning and stress. Most PD concerns exhibited strong and positive mutual correlations. The study also found strong and positive correlations between penile curvature and a perceived reduction in penis attractiveness and discrimination fears. Multiple regression analyses showed that PD concerns and penile curvature explained 34.3% of the overall mental health variance and 21% of the overall sexual functioning variance. Conclusions: These results are consistent with those of previous studies that have shown that experiencing PD can increase mental health symptoms and diminish sexual functioning.