Diagnosis and treatment of participants of support groups for hypersexual disorder

Abstract

Background: The aim of this study is to examine the extent to which members of support groups for hypersexual disorder meet the proposed criteria for hypersexual disorder of Kafka, how the diagnosis of hypersexual disorders is made and what treatments are currently given. Methods: In this non-interventional research survey, members of support groups for hypersexual disorder received a questionnaire in which the criteria for hypersexual disorder according to Kafka were included as well as the way the disease was diagnosed and treated. Results: The questionnaire was presented to 32 people but only 10 completed questionnaires were returned. Five of the ten respondents met the criteria of Kafka. For the other five respondents a hypersexual disorder was not confirmed but neither excluded. Only for three respondents the diagnosis was made by a professional healthcare worker. The treatment included -besides the support group in nine cases -also individual psychotherapy. Two respondents took a selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitor (SSRI), as recommended in the literature. Conclusions: The members of support groups for sex addiction were difficult to motivate for their participation. The way hypersexual disorders were diagnosed was far from optimal. Only two participants received the recommended medication.

Relevance of Hypersexual Disorder to Family Medicine and Primary Care as a Complex Multidimensional Chronic Disease Construct

“…To our knowledge no specific quality indicators at the structure, process, or outcome level of care for patients with HD exist, which is in part a consequence of the lack of research on (the construct of) HD. In addition, publications that describe approaches to patient involvement in quality indicator development are scarce [43] and to our knowledge nonexisting for patients with sexual disorders [44]. …”