Quality of Life and Sexuality in Men with Schizophrenia: A Naturalistic Study

Abstract

Objective Schizophrenia is a chronic mental illness that caus- es impairments in subjective well-being and func- tional outcomes. Naturalistic studies are important in terms of the applicability of the results to treatment programs. We aimed to investigate the factors affect- ing the quality of life in individuals with schizophrenia through naturalistic studies. Material and Method Data were collected through structured interviews and self-administered metrics with 49 male patients diag- nosed with schizophrenia who met the eligibility crite- ria. After providing informed consent, they completed the Arizona Sexual Experiences Scale (ASEX) and the short version of the World Health Organization Quality of Life Scale (WHOQOL-BREF). Results We found that high economic status and the ASEX pe- nile erection, ability to reach orgasm, and satisfaction with the orgasm subscales predicted quality of life. We grouped participants according to their answers to the questions "Do you think you have sexual dysfunc- tion (SD) due to illness?" and "Do you think you have SD due to medication?" and compared them in terms of sexual function and quality of life. Although no sig- nificant differences were found in ASEX scale scores between the two groups, we found that participants in the group who thought they had SD experienced a greater deterioration in their WHOQOL-BREF scale scores. Conclusion Sexuality is an important component influencing the life satisfaction of individuals with schizophrenia. However, restrictions on the sexual lives of patients can negatively impact their overall quality of life. Therefore, the sexual lives of patients with schizo- phrenia should always be assessed during routine examinations.

Keywords

• Schizophrenia
• Sexuality
• Quality of life

Supporting Institution

This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for- profit sectors.

Ethical Statement

The study was conducted after obtaining approval from the Ethics Committee of Sancaktepe Şehit Prof. Dr. İlhan Varank Training and Research Hospital, de- cision number 17 dated 10 January 2024. The study was conducted in accordance with the "Helsinki Dec- laration".

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