Feasibility of an Online Mindfulness-Based Intervention for Women with Sexual Interest/Arousal Disorder

Difficulties with sexual desire impact up to a third of women and most do not seek or receive appropriate care for these complaints, in part due to stigma, embarrassment, and limited availability of treatment. In-person mindfulness-based interventions have lasting benefits to sexual desire and sex-related distress in controlled clinical trials but are difficult to access. Online cognitive-behavioral interventions for sexual concerns have shown promising findings, but online mindfulness interventions have received little testing. The current study assessed the feasibility of an online program (called eSense-Mindfulness) adapted from an effective face-to-face intervention for women with Sexual Interest/Arousal Disorder.

Thirty cisgender women (M age = 35.3) with Sexual Interest/Arousal Disorder consented and completed at least one of the eight modules of eSense-Mindfulness while providing weekly feedback regarding their experience. Feasibility was assessed via attrition rates and participant self-report regarding challenges of using the program. Limited efficacy testing was based on effect sizes for changes in sexual response and sex-related distress.

Participants (n = 25 who completed all testing) reported high levels of usability and ease of understanding content and reported the mindfulness exercises as well as the information on partner communication to be the most relevant. Limited efficacy testing showed large effect sizes for reductions in sex-related distress, and improvements in sexual desire, arousal, and satisfaction whereas there were smaller effect sizes for improvements in lubrication, orgasm, and vaginal pain.

The findings suggest that efficacious face-to-face mindfulness interventions for sexual dysfunction in women show excellent evidence of feasibility when delivered online without personalized guidance.