title: Low satisfaction with sex life among people with severe mental illness living in a community.
abstract: Research on the sex lives of people with severe mental illness (SMI) most often focuses on dysfunction and the side-effects of medication. We wished to determine how people with SMI experience sex and assess satisfaction with it in a broader evaluation of quality of life. Data were gathered using mixed methods, including a reliable psychometric quality of life instrument, and in-depth interviews. Sex life showed the lowest rating of all quality of life domains, with men indicating lower satisfaction in this area than women. Low satisfaction also correlated with lower scores on the total quality of life index. Sexuality and intimate relations were generally experienced as out of reach or something of secondary importance that had to be controlled, according to many of those suffering from SMI. Programs such as patient disorder-specific or partner assisted interventions, to increase the possibility of sustaining a sex life might need to be added to existing recommendations for people with SMI living in a community.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Health and Society, Malmö University, Jan Waldenströms gata 25, 205 06 Malmö, Sweden. Electronic address: margareta.ostman@mah.se.
authors.forename: Margareta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ostman
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003156:Community Mental Health Services; D005260:Female; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D011594:Psychometrics; D011788:Quality of Life; D012725:Sexual Behavior / Q000523:psychology*
keywords: Out-patient psychiatric care; Sexuality; Social psychiatry; Social services