[Sexuality in acute psychiatric departments]

Sexual behavior of patients in psychiatric admission wards is still only seldom spoken about, despite its relatively frequent occurrence in various forms and the emotional impact it bears on the psychiatric staff. The sexual issues have to be discussed with every patient. Among other things, the patients should be provided with information and the communicative meaning of his or her sexual manifestations should be elucidated and worked through psychotherapeutically. In the ward, a prohibitive attitude toward genital sexuality is justified; otherwise a flexible attitude should be assumed, which always takes the actual condition of the patient into consideration.