Psychobehavioral Treatment Options for Sexual Dysfunction in Multiple Sclerosis: A Systematic Review

Sexual dysfunction in multiple sclerosis (MS) is a significant but overlooked impairment, and treatment options are rare. The aims of this systematic review were to identify psychological interventions used to treat sexual dysfunction in MS, to estimate their benefit, and to note appropriate treatment approaches for research projects and clinical use.

A systematic review update was conducted to find psychological interventions aiming to improve sexual dysfunction in MS. A comprehensive search and review of MEDLINE, PsycINFO, CINAHL, and PubMed were completed, and the effects and quality of selected studies were reported.

Six publications with 295 participants were identified. All selected studies assessed the effectiveness of psychological interventions on sexual dysfunction or sexual satisfaction in people with MS; four studies directly targeted sexual dysfunction in MS, one was a mindfulness yoga program to improve fatigue and quality of life, and one other presented a secondary analysis of a study targeting depression in MS. All six studies reported significant improvements in sexual dysfunction or sexual satisfaction and somewhat in psychological variables.

A pressing need for development and adequate evaluation of psychological interventions for sexual dysfunction in MS remains. In addition, assessment of sexual dysfunction in MS and its treatment should be more focused in clinical care.