The relationship of symptom distribution between psychiatric diagnosis and the other clinical variables in patients with sexual complaints

Despite the limited scientific studies on sexual functions, in the recent years there has been an increase in the studies performed, but the informations we have obtained about the sexual functions are often from the studies established in the western world and in our country there are very limited number of studies. This study was conducted with Elazığ Fırat University Hospital psychiatric outpatients or hospitalized patients and the aim of study was to question their sexual complaints and to investigate the relationship between psychiatric diagnosis and clinical variables. The study comprised 57 women and 64 men, a total of 121 patients. All participants applied socio-demographic data sheet, Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, Hamilton Anxiete Rating Scale, ASEX, Short Form-36, GRİSS and DSM-IV scale structured clinical interview for axis I disoreders (SCID-I). Both male and female participants who involved the study were accompanied by sexual dysfunction with comorbid psychiatric diagnosis of a disease or a comorbid psychiatric diagnosis with sexual dysfunction, and we have detected that this is usually major depression, anxiety disorder or somatorfm disorders. Also the life quality of the patients involved in the study, especially for the female patients is observed to be quite low. We see that there is high rate of occurrence of sexual problems associated with a concomitant psychiatric diagnosis or a psychiatric diagnosis accompained with a sexual dysfunction. To determine the effects of the role of both physical and psychological factors in the development of sexual problems, there is need for more investigations with larger sample groups and in comparison to healthy individuals to reveal and understand the relationship between sexuality and sexual problems with these diseases. Key Words: Sexual dysfunction, psychiatric comorbidity