Sexual dysfunction: a neglected complication of panic disorder and social phobia

Little is known about sexual dysfunctions comorbid with anxiety disorder. The aim of this study is to evaluate retrospectively the sexual function of social phobic patients in comparison with a panic disorder sample. Using a semistructured interview (SCID-I), 30 patients with social phobia and 28 patients with panic disorder were examined. The DSM-IV criteria were employed to diagnose sexual dysfunctions in this sample; however, the "C" criterion, which states that "the sexual dysfunction cannot be related to other Axis I disorders," was excluded. Panic disorder patients reported a significantly greater proportion of sexual disorders compared with social phobics: 75% (21/28) vs. 33.3% (10/30) (p = .0034). Sexual aversion disorder was the most common sexual dysfunction in both male (35.7%; 5/14) and female (50%; 7/14) panic disorder patients, and premature ejaculation was the most common sexual dysfunction in male social phobic patients: 47.4% (9/19). These results suggest that sexual dysfunctions are frequent and neglected complications of social phobia and panic disorder.