Subjective quality of life and sexual dysfunction in outpatients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder

The objective of this research was to examine the association between sexual dysfunction and subjective quality of life in outpatients with schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder. The authors evaluated a sample of 238 adult outpatients with diagnoses of schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder who took quetiapine, olanzapine, or risperidone at study entry with a 1-time rating of the Arizona Sexual Experience Scale and the general life satisfaction scale item of the quality of life index. The authors used multiple linear robust regression and Spearman partial correlation coefficient to examine the relation between subjective quality of life (measured by the general life satisfaction scale item) and sexual functioning (measured by the Arizona sexual experience scale). The authors found a significant negative linear relation between the Arizona Sexual Experience Scale total score and the general life satisfaction scale item for the overall sample (r(s) = -0.16, p = .01), but not separately for men or women. Sexual dysfunction in men and women with schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder is associated with decreased subjective quality of life, although the magnitude of the effect size was relatively small. Improving clinicians' awareness of the importance of sexual dysfunction in patients may improve tolerability and subsequent treatment outcomes.