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Sexual dysfunctions, internalized stigma and quality of life in patients with schizophrenia

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  19 July 2023

A. BEJAR*
Affiliation:
psychiatry “C”, Hedi Chaker university hospital, Sfax, Tunisia
N. SMAOUI
Affiliation:
psychiatry “C”, Hedi Chaker university hospital, Sfax, Tunisia
I. GASSARA
Affiliation:
psychiatry “C”, Hedi Chaker university hospital, Sfax, Tunisia
R. FEKI
Affiliation:
psychiatry “C”, Hedi Chaker university hospital, Sfax, Tunisia
S. OMRI
Affiliation:
psychiatry “C”, Hedi Chaker university hospital, Sfax, Tunisia
M. MAALEJ BOUALI
Affiliation:
psychiatry “C”, Hedi Chaker university hospital, Sfax, Tunisia
N. CHARFI
Affiliation:
psychiatry “C”, Hedi Chaker university hospital, Sfax, Tunisia
J. BEN THABET
Affiliation:
psychiatry “C”, Hedi Chaker university hospital, Sfax, Tunisia
L. ZOUARI
Affiliation:
psychiatry “C”, Hedi Chaker university hospital, Sfax, Tunisia
M. MAALEJ
Affiliation:
psychiatry “C”, Hedi Chaker university hospital, Sfax, Tunisia
*
*Corresponding author.

Abstract

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Introduction

Schizophrenia is a chronic psychotic disorder characterized by a high prevalence of sexual dysfunctions (SD). SD can affect the quality of life (QOL) of patients, cause low self-esteem and self-stigma.

Objectives

To evaluate the sexual functioning, the QOL, and the internalized stigma among outpatients with schizophrenia.

To determine the links between SD, the QOL, and the internalized stigma.

Methods

A cross-sectional, analytical study was conducted between Mars and September 2019. It included 53 outpatients with schizophrenia in clinical remission for at least two months.

We used the Arizona Sexual Experiences Scale (ASEX) to assess sexual functioning, the Internalized Stigma of Mental Illness scale (ISMI) to assess the subjective experience of stigma, and the 36-item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36) to evaluate the QOL.

Results

The average age of patients was 42.28 years old, and their sex ratio was 3.81. The average ASEX score was 19.77±5.99, and 67.9% of participants had at least one SD.

The mean ISMI score was 2.47±0,34. 60,4% of patients had a high level of internalized stigma. The QOL was impaired in 66% of the cases.

We found correlations between SD and a high level of internalized stigma (p=0.011) and its subscales «alienation » (p=0.013), «stereotype endorsement» (p=0.034) and « discrimination experience» (p =0.001).

SD correlated with impaired QOL (p<0.001), emotional limitation (0.050), and social functioning (0.031).

Conclusions

Our study highlights the importance of the impact of SD on the prognosis of schizophrenia through internalized stigma and altered QOL.

Disclosure of Interest

None Declared

Type
Abstract
Creative Commons
Creative Common License - CCCreative Common License - BY
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2023. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of the European Psychiatric Association
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