Burden of phase-specific sexual dysfunction with SSRIs

This study examines phase-specific sexual dysfunction among patients who are being treated for major depression and who do not meet criteria for global sexual dysfunction.

6297 adult outpatients receiving antidepressant monotherapy completed the Changes in Sexual Functioning Questionnaire (CSFQ). The sub-sample for this study (n = 3114) comprises participants who were receiving treatment with a SSRI or SNRI and did not meet the gender-specific criterion for global sexual dysfunction on the CSFQ.

Among this sub-sample, 95.6% of women and 97.9% of men exhibited impairment in at least one phase of sexual functioning. Men were significantly more likely than women to experience dysfunction in the desire phase (91.2% vs. 79.0%; OR = 2.76; 95% C.I. = 2.14 to 3.5) and the orgasmic phase (85.1% vs. 45.4%; OR = 6.9; 95% C.I. = 5.6 to 8.4) but were significantly less likely than women to experience dysfunction in the arousal phase (71.9% vs. 83.3%; OR = .51; 95% C.I. = .43 to .62). The prevalence of phase-specific dysfunction did not vary significantly by SSRI/SNRI for males or females.

Among patients who do not experience clinically significant global sexual dysfunction on SSRI/SNRI monotherapy, dysfunction in at least one phase of the sexual response cycle is very common and may reduce sexual health-related quality of life.