title: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Medicine, Vrije Universiteit Brussel. dirk.devroey@vub.ac.be.
authors.forename: Els
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Tierens
authors.forename: Johan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Vansintejan
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Vandevoorde
authors.forename: Dirk
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Devroey