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Pharmacopsychiatry 2007; 40(4): 140-145
DOI: 10.1055/s-2007-981480
Original Paper

© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York

Sexual Dysfunction in Psychiatric Inpatients The Role of Antipsychotic Medication

J. Westheide 1 , S. Cohen 6 , S. Bender 2 , D. Cooper-Mahkorn 8 , A. Erfurth 4 , M. Gastpar 2 , T. J. Huber 7 , W. Maier 1 , A. Murafi 4 , M. Rothermund 3 , J. Signerski 2 , B. Sträter 1 , L. Teusch 4 , W. Weig 5 , A. Welling 5 , K.-U. Kühn 1
  • 1Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
  • 2Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
  • 3Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Muenster, Münster, Germany
  • 4Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Ev. Krankenhaus Castrop-Rauxel, Castrop-Rauxel, Germany
  • 5State Hospital for Psychiatry Osnabrueck, Osnabrück, Germany
  • 6Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Duesseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
  • 7Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Hannover, Hannover, Germany
  • 8Department of Epileptology, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
Further Information

Publication History

received 26.10.2006 revised 04.04.2007

accepted 17.04.2007

Publication Date:
10 August 2007 (online)

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Abstract

Introduction: Sexual dysfunction is a common side effect of antipsychotic medication. Although increased prolactin levels caused by antipsychotic agents are believed to play a major role with regard to sexual side effects, the underlying mechanism of antipsychotic agent-induced sexual dysfunction remains poorly understood.

Methods: In a multicentric study 587 psychiatric inpatients were assessed by means of a self-rating sexual questionnaire. Focussing on antipsychotic treatment three subgroups were drawn from the original sample. One group was treated with prolactin-increasing antipsychotics (n=119), the other with prolactin-neutral medication (n=109) and the third patient group was comprised of non-medicated clinical controls (n=105).

Results: The majority of all patients (50-75%) reported at least minor sexual dysfunction. On comparison of the subgroups, only female patients treated with prolactin-increasing medication reported more severe sexual dysfunction. However, multiple regression analysis did not confirm an association between the type of treatment and sexual impairment.

Discussion: Sexual dysfunction frequently occurs in psychiatric inpatients treated with antipsychotics. Our findings only partly support the assumptions concerning a major role of prolactin-increasing neuroleptics for medication-induced sexual impairment.

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Correspondence

Dr. J. Westheide

Department of Psychiatry

University of Bonn

Sigmund-Freud-Str. 25

53105 Bonn

Germany

Phone: +49/228/287 156 83

Fax: +49/228/287 169 49

Email: jens.westheide@ukb.uni-bonn.de

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