Sexual dysfunctions in depression

The incidence of sexual dysfunctions in a group of 51 drug-free depressed patients and in age- and sex-matched controls was studied. Three groups of sexual dysfunction were assessed: alterations of libido, genital symptoms, and menstrual irregularities. The Beck Rating Scale for Depression, the Eysenck Personality Inventory (EPI), and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory were completed on each participant. Depressed patients obtained significantly higher scores on anxiety, depression, and alterations of libido than controls. Rating scale scores for anxiety and depression were strongly intercorrelated, making the separation of depression-related symptoms from anxiety difficult. In males, the genital symptoms correlated inversely with the L (lie) score of the Eysenck Personality Inventory. There were no interrelationships between the three groups of sexual dysfunction.