title: Sexual self-perception in schizophrenic and depressive patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Sexual self-perception is just one of the items of the complex system of self, which has rarely been researched in the population of mental health patients.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Our goal was to establish whether the differences in sexual self-perception exist between schizophrenic and depressive patients compared with the healthy control group.
  
  
  METHODS
  This research was performed on 100 schizophrenic patients, 100 depressive patients and 100 phenotypically healthy volunteers. In order to diagnose schizophrenia and depression, DSM-IV classification was used. Bezinovic's questionnaire for sexual self-perception was used in order to assess seven aspects of sexual self-perception.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Results revealed that schizophrenic and depressive patients, compared with healthy individuals, scored significantly higher on the aspects of negative emotionality and sexual incompetence, and significantly lower on the aspect of sexual satisfaction. No statistically significant differences were established between schizophrenic and depressive patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We can conclude that patients suffering from schizophrenia or depression differ from healthy individuals in all of the aspects of sexual self-perception.
authors.affiliation: Psychiatric Clinic of KBC Rijeka, Cambierieva 17/7, 51000 Rijeka, Croatia. marijavp@gmail.com
authors.forename: Marija
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vučić-Peitl
authors.forename: Vjekoslav
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Peitl
authors.forename: Eduard
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Pavlović
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003863:Depression / Q000523:psychology*; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D004644:Emotions; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000175:diagnosis; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D012649:Self Concept; D012725:Sexual Behavior; D019529:Sexuality / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult