title: Erectile dysfunction and depression: category or dimension?
abstract: Depression, as a risk factor for erectile dysfunction (ED), has received minimal systematic attention. One-hundred twenty men with ED evaluated in a sexual behaviors clinic were studied. The categorical Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV; American Psychiatric Association, 1994) diagnosis of a depressive disorder was found in only 14 subjects (14.7%). Dimensional quantification of depression was measured with the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI). The BSI data revealed clinically significant elevations of depression and other dysphoric affects. The presence of a comorbid medical diagnosis did not affect the rates of categorical diagnosis of depression or the dimensional levels. The five factors of personality in the NEO-PI were within normal range. The data demonstrates that men with ED are affectively distressed but infrequently meet criteria for categorical DSM-IV depression.
authors.affiliation: Sexual Behaviors Consultation Unit, Johns Hopkins Hospital and the Department of Psychiatry and Behavior Science, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
authors.forename: Julia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Strand
authors.forename: Thomas N
authors.initials: TN
authors.lastname: Wise
authors.forename: Peter J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Fagan
authors.forename: Chester W
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Schmidt
mesh_terms: D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000523:psychology*; D007172:Erectile Dysfunction / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged