The Antipsychotics and Sexual Functioning Questionnaire (ASFQ): preliminary evidence for reliability and validity

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry
• Psychometrics
• Clinical Psychology

Background:

• Antipsychotic medications can significantly impact sexual functioning in patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders.
• Assessing these side effects is crucial for treatment adherence and patient quality of life.
• Validated instruments are needed to accurately measure antipsychotic-induced sexual dysfunction.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the psychometric properties of the Antipsychotics and Sexual Functioning Questionnaire (ASFQ).
• To determine the reliability and validity of the ASFQ in a patient sample.
• To assess the ASFQ's sensitivity to change.

Main Methods:

• The ASFQ, a semi-structured interview, was administered to 30 patients with schizophrenia or related disorders on antipsychotic treatment.
• Psychometric properties including internal reliability (Cronbach's alpha), test-retest reliability (Spearman's rho), and inter-rater reliability were calculated.
• Convergent validity was assessed by comparing ASFQ scores with the Subject's Response to Antipsychotics (SRA) and Arizona Sexual Experience Scale (ASEX).

Main Results:

• The ASFQ demonstrated good internal reliability (Cronbach's alpha = 0.84) and test-retest reliability (mean rho = .76).
• Inter-rater reliability was found to be good for specific sexual function domains (libido, orgasm, erection, ejaculation).
• Convergent validity showed modest to good correlations with established measures (SRA, ASEX).

Conclusions:

• The Antipsychotics and Sexual Functioning Questionnaire (ASFQ) exhibits acceptable reliability and validity.
• Preliminary evidence supports the ASFQ's utility for clinical assessment and research in patients experiencing antipsychotic side effects.
• The ASFQ is a practical tool, taking approximately 10 minutes to complete.