Social Psychiatry, Vol. 47 No. 3, 2019.
Professional paper
https://doi.org/10.24869/spsih.2019.373
Do Older People Suffer When They Have Sexual Problems?
Goran Arbanas
orcid.org/0000-0002-2770-0942
; University Psychiatric Hospital Vrapče, Zagreb & Rijeka Medical School, Rijeka, Croatia
Abstract
Sexual problems have a higher prevalence in old age but are considered less distressing than in younger people. The aim of this study is to determine the prevalence and the type of sexual problems in people who contacted the outpatient clinic for sexual problems. Data from the outpatient clinic for sexual problems of the University Psychiatric Hospital Vrapče, founded in 2014, were analysed. 589 patients were examined in the outpatient clinic for sexual problems, and among them there were 6.8% of those aged 65 and above. There was only one woman. The majority of the patients (57%) were diagnosed with erectile dysfunction, while other sexual problems were rare. None of the patients suffered from gender dysphoria or paraphilias. The majority of the patients with erectile dysfunction had a physical factor influencing the problem. Men aged 65 and above consider erectile dysfunction distressful and seek treatment in outpatient clinic for sexual problems. It is important to pay special attention to physical factors influencing erectile dysfunction in this group. A small subgroup of patients think they have sexual problems but actually have other psychological problems (e.g. organic delusional disorder).
Keywords
Sexual Dysfunction; Older Age; Erectile Dysfunction
Hrčak ID:
232520
URI
Publication date:
12.11.2019.
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