Group treatment of secondary erectile dysfunction

Abstract

The effects of three group treatment formats on 20 men with secondary erectile dysfunction and their partners were contrasted. After a comprehensive medical and psychological screening, each couple was assigned to one of three treatment groups (Communication Technique Training, Sexual Technique Training, Combination Treatment) or to one of two control groups (Attention-Placebo, No-Treatment). Couples in the three treatment groups and the attention-placebo group participated in their respective formats in twice-weekly sessions for a total of 20 hours. The no-treatment control group received sex education and treatment after a 5-week waiting list period. All three treatment groups fostered substantial gains so that between-format differences were not statistically significant. Subject variables which predicted success/experience ratio gains included age of the male partner, perceived level of relationship adjustment, and the male partner's success/experience ratio prior to treatment. Eighty-one percent of the treated men reached the criterion of 80% or greater success/experience ratio (successful penetration and subsequent ejaculation) at the 6-month follow-up. Good nocturnal tumescence prior to treatment was correlated with a better treatment outcome than poor tumescence.

Attrition From an Internet-Based Psychological Intervention for Erectile Dysfunction: Who is Likely to Drop Out?

“…Attrition from Rekindle was much higher than has been reported for face-to-face psychological treatments for sexual dysfunction, where discontinuation rates have been found to range from between 1.6% and 52.6% (Hawton et al, 1992;Kilmann et al, 1987;McCabe, 2001;Reynolds, Cohen, Schochet, Price, & Anderson, 1981;Sarwer & Durlak, 1997). This finding may be explained by the fact that during face-to-face therapy, the therapist has an opportunity within the session to address factors that may be inhibiting motivation to participate in treatment, such as ambivalence to change, lack of confidence in the treatment, or limited enthusiasm.…”

The Effectiveness of Psychological Interventions for the Treatment of Erectile Dysfunction: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis, Including Comparisons to Sildenafil Treatment, Intracavernosal Injection, and Vacuum Devices

“…Kilmann [17] studied the effects of three group treatment formats on 20 men with secondary ED. After a comprehensive medical and psychological screening, each couple was assigned to one of three treatment groups (communication technique training, sexual technique training, and combination treatment) or to one of two control groups (attention‐placebo, no‐treatment).…”

“…In a subgroup analysis comparing one study with men between 30 and 39 years old [24] to four studies with men at 45 years old and older [13,15,17,20], no statistical differences were identified.…”

Internet-Based Psychological and Oral Medical Treatment Compared to Psychological Treatment Alone for ED

“…A number of studies in the last 15 years have demonstrated that this is a disorder experienced by many men, particularly those over the age of 40 years [2,3]. Treatment for this disorder has varied over the past 50 years, with treatment in the 1970s and 1980s largely focusing on psychological interventions [4–6]. However, in the last 20 years the use of oral medications for ED has increased substantially, with treatments mainly adopting intracavernousal injection therapy [7] or more recently oral medications [8–10].…”