Rates of sexual dysfunction high in patients with schizophrenia

There is a high prevalence of sexual dysfunction among individuals with schizophrenia, according to a review published online Sept. 13 in JAMA Psychiatry.

Théo Korchia, M.D., from Aix-Marseille University in France, and colleagues conducted a systematic literature review and meta-analysis to assess sexual dysfunction and associated factors in individuals with schizophrenia-spectrum disorders.

Based on 72 studies (33 countries and 21,076 participants with schizophrenia), the researchers found that the pooled global prevalence of sexual dysfunctions was 56.4 percent (55.7 percent for men and 60.0 percent for women). In men, the most frequent sexual dysfunction was erectile dysfunction (44 percent), loss of libido (41 percent), and ejaculation dysfunction (39 percent). In women, the most common dysfunctions were orgasm dysfunction (28 percent) and amenorrhea (25 percent). Sexual dysfunctions were seen more frequently in patients with schizophrenia compared with patients with schizoaffective disorders. Erectile disorders were less frequent in individuals with longer illness duration. Lower rates of erectile disorders were associated with antidepressant and mood stabilizer prescriptions, as were ejaculation disorders.

"The findings in this study suggest that prevalence of sexual dysfunction remains high in people with schizophrenia with no obvious improvement over time or better tolerance of second-generation antipsychotics," the authors write. "Treating depression may be a key point to reduce sexual dysfunction in individuals with schizophrenia."